‘Lukashenka Does Not Control Situation In The Country’

• 31.01.2024, 18:21

What is behind the new wave of repressions in Belarus?

Since January 23, more than 200 people have been persecuted during a massive raid by the law-enforcers on relatives of political prisoners.

Criminal cases were opened against some, and others were convicted under administrative charges. The Charter97.org website asked Andrei Sharenda, an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign, the husband of political prisoner Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, to comment on the new wave of repressions:

— Let me start with the fact that the figure cited by human rights activists is clearly incomplete. The repressions are much larger. I have information that in Brest alone, more than 70 people were detained on January 23-24. Most likely, we are talking about hundreds of detainees.

It is known that most of them are women. Mothers, wives, grandmothers of political prisoners or ex-political prisoners. The law-enforcers also came and knocked on ordinary people who simply handed over parcels, sent things via post, or transferred money to a pre-trial detention center.

— What is the reason for the wave of repressions among the relatives of political prisoners?

— It’s not for nothing that all this started a month before the “elections” to the “parliament.” Today “elections” are stressful for the regime. Lukashists understand that the majority of Belarusians who opposed them in 2020 remained in the country. Now Lukashenka does not control the minds of people and the situation in the country as a whole. So they staged a new wave of repression.

By the way, hundreds of people have been detained, but I have not seen a single so-called repentance video. This means that the detainees did not break even under intense pressure. The heroes withstood.

I would advise Belarusians to have two mobile phones. One — to use for important correspondence, instant messengers, and social media. The other, “clean” one, should be carried with you in order to provide it to the law-enforcers in case of emergency. Onwards the struggle!