Zmitser Bandarenka: “Mikalay Autukhovich is regular hero, and his life is menaced”
- 1.05.2009, 14:00
Participants of the solidarity rally in Minsk demand immediate release of political prisoners.
“On May 1, on the International Workers' solidarity Day, we gathered with portraits of Belarusian political prisoners to the remand prison in Valadarski Street. The leader of entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk, Mikalay Autukhovich, continues his indefinite hunger strike in the remand prison for more than 2 weeks. His colleagues Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka are arrested as well. According to human rights activists, investigatory activities have been not performed in their case for more than 2 months,” stated the coordinator of the Charter’97 Zmitser Bandarenka, who took part in the rally of solidarity with political prisoners on May 1, which was disbanded by Minsk riot policemen.
As said by Zmitser Bandarenka, Mikalay Autukhovich’s life is menaced by real danger.
“Mikalay Autukhovich is a regular hero. He went through war in Afghanistan, where he had been sent by Soviet government. He was decorated by Red Star Order and Medals for Bravery and For Combat Services. As you understand, these decorations are not given just for fun. As said by his lawyer, after a week of hunger strike of protest Mikalay Autukhovich felt like after 30 days of hunger strike. Today not only his health, but his life is menaced. The political prisoner has pancreatitis and a number of other chronic diseases. We cannot indifferently watch what is going on with this man, we must support him. That is why I responded to the call of the young people to hold solidarity rallies with Belarusian political prisoners. We join the demand of Autukhovich and his colleagues about immediate release form prison and dismissal of this fabricated case,” the Charter’97 coordinator said.
The human rights activist believes that this time actions of riot policemen were even more “unbridled” than before.
“It is obvious how the regime fears publicity. When riot policemen arrived, they were ordered to disband the rally. But hearing English speech of the BBC correspondent who covered the rally, they were simply paralyzed. They didn’t know what to do, and were standing puzzled for about 15 minutes. But further actions of riot policemen were no different from usual ones. There were mean blows in kidney area, no matter who was in front of a policeman: a boy or a girl. There were kicks on legs. A former political prisoner Andrei Kim was seriously beaten up. Mean tactics of the regime remains unchanged. When riot policemen started to drive us away, their actions grew even more unbridled. It could be connected with arrival and a seminar organized in Minsk by the representative of the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Germany, the commander of Security Alert, Juergen Schubert. The seminar was held last week. It looks like German policemen have taught such methods,” Bandarenka supposed.