Andrei Kim: “I was arrested on outrageous formulation and released in the same way” (Video)

• 21.08.2008, 13:35

Political prisoner Andrei Kim left the Babruisk penal colony today. Like Alyaksandr Kazulin and Syarhei Parsyukevich, he was released by the order of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

The youth activist got to Minsk by shared taxi. Journalists and opposition activists were waiting for him near the house.

“They just say I am free. I was awakened in the morning and given 7 minutes to gather my things, and guarded me from the colony. I was said I was pardoned by Lukashenka’s order. I was arrested on outrageous formulation and released in the same way,” Andrei Kim told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.

“I was shocked when I got 1.5 year, but I understood in prison it wasn’t a long term. I met so many people sentenced to 6-8 years for nothing. I realised I was lucky... just 1.5 years,” Andrei Kim noted.

The youth activist thanked all Belarusians and the international society who struggled for his release.

It should be reminded that Andrei Kim spent 7 months in prison. Youth leader Andrei Kim was sentenced to 1.5-year imprisonment by the Tsentralny district court of Minsk (judge Alena Illina). Andrei Kim was found guilty in participation in unauthorised protest action of entrepreneurs and accused of attack on traffic militia officer Yury Sychou. However, no proofs of Kim’s guilt were represented at the trial. Footage by the KGB, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Belarusian TV showed Sychou was hit by another militia officer. Andrei Kim didn’t stay near the militiaman.