Mikalai Statkevich: "They tried to persuade me to refuse from solitary confinement”

Political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich expressed his precautions concerning the presidential campaign of the Republic of Belarus (which will be launched quite soon) in a letter to Bialyničy activist Barys Vyrvich.

In particular, Mr. Statkevich writes: "If we are talking about the elections and the preparation of the democratic forces to them, the situation is rather sad. There is a real prospect of international legitimacy. To do this, now it is enough to demonstrate a "remarkable progress". That is, to put a smaller percentage of votes for Lukashenka and ignore the possible protest actions, if there are any. To put it short, the plan which was prepared in 2010 but was disrupted, has good chances now. None of the candidates are going to oppose it. And there is a good pretext not to do it – Russia.”

Mikalai Statkevich writes that he has started getting newspapers only during the last two weeks, and not all of those he is subscribed to. He says he feels alright.

“Here they tried to persuade me refuse from solitary confinement. But if they need to know my thoughts, they need just to let me phone my relatives and not to confiscate letters that are sent to me, so that I could write letters in response more often. They will have their luck then,” humorously notes the political prisoner.