What are fates of Belarusian “Decembrists”?
- 3.05.2012, 14:50
The former political prisoners remain under police supervision, and just a few of them have managed to find employment in Belarus.
The former political prisoner Vasil Parfyankou was charged in a criminal case. Aleh Hnedchyk and Syarhie Kazakou got a job, but they do not say where. Uladzimir Loban and Yauheny Sakret are abroad, Radio Svaboda informs.
On May 2 charges in another criminal case were filed by Pershamajski Regional Internal Affairs department of Minsk against a former political prisoner Vasil Parfyankou, preventive supervision over whom was established a month ago. He is charged with violations of the probation.
“Today I was officially acquainted with another criminal case, and charges were filed. I face either half a year of arrest or a year in a penal colony. The trial is to be scheduled soon, and it is to sentence me to a term.”
One more former political prisoner, who had been sentenced to preventive supervision as well, Uladzislau Yaromenak, is serving the administrative arrest of 7 days in Akrestsin Street prison. Pavel Vinahradau, released two days ago, remains under the supervision as well.
The very few former political prisoners managed to find job in their home country. Half a year ago, after a prison term, Syarhei Kazakou was dismissed from the enterprise “Vegetables-Import”, and he was not able to find employment for a long time:
“I have found a new job now, I work as a lighting technician. I’d better not reveal where I work, as, frankly speaking, I do not want to be spotted, after so many losses of job. The salary there is just $90, to tell the truth, but still, I have a job, and I am happy about that. I continue to practice as a musician. Police is still stressing me out. They visit my home in the morning on the eve of each major protest rally; my district police officer often calls me, and invites for prevention conversations.”
Aleh Hnedchyk has got a job as well. But he does not want to tell where he works either:
“I have found a situation, everything is more or less normal. From time to time policemen visit me and summon me. Everything is fine at work. But it seems that no one knows about my past there, and I do not tell I had served a prison term either.”
But not all of them were lucky to find a situation in Belarus. Some left abroad – to Russia, Ukraine, Poland. Uladzimir Loban, Aleh Fedarkevich, Yauhen Sakret live abroad.
Not all of them want to tell where they have settled. Yauhen Sakret does not hide where he is:
“I live in Poland now. I had to leave. I found a master of an agritourism enterprise, a country estate where tourists are invited. And I work as his assistant.”
In Lodz, Poland, Fiodar Mirzayanau and Illya Vasilevich study at the preparatory division of the University of Economics, due to the help of Kalinouski program. Illya’s mother Tamara told:
“They are studying Polish. Not only language, but mathematics, history, geography, scientific terms. They are to master the language, and then to continue their studies. Illya says that they are studying successfully. He told that there was a meeting, and out of 60 students studying under Kalinouski program, there are no complaints about just 4 of them, and Fiodar and Illya are among them. Illya is good at languages, and Fiodar too.
After release Dzmitry Drozd, a historian and archivist, prepared and published the second edition of his scientific work:
“My book is called “Land-owners of Minsk government in 1861-1900”. It is sold very well, people buy it and thank for it. I have readers in Australia, Germany, Israel, I have sent a copy to Canada. My work has become sought-after, and it is very pleasant for me as an author. Now I have started work on the second volume.”