Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “Many Belarusians celebrated New Year with their relatives and friends. But 568 people spent it behind bars: 112 were detained under Article 23.34, 287 are suspects in criminal cases and 169 are political prisoners.
Ihar Losik has been in prison for more than six months. A month and a half before the elections, the blogger was arrested and sent to Akrestina Detention Centre with unbearable detention conditions. Ihar was deprived of letters and the press. He was kept in a semi-basement room where it was impossible to take even a couple of steps.
At the end of his term, Losik got a new charge – in protest, he went on a hunger strike and has been holding it to this day, for three weeks. His daughter Paulina's birthday was on January 4.
“Paulina is a long-awaited child, Ihar really wanted a daughter. He chose the name himself. Paulina picks up my phone every night. There is a photo of Ihar on the home screen. She brings her toys, dishes, begins to feed dad… She blows kisses, repeats “dad”, – says Ihar's wife Daria Losik.
Ihar has already missed the first words of his daughter. Now he will not be able to see Paulina blowing out two candles on the cake. He was deprived of this opportunity only because he wanted to see Belarusians free and happy.
It is impossible to return to Ihar the six months of his life that he spent in prison, just as it is impossible to return him the opportunity to hug his daughter. But it is within our power to facilitate his return home and support him. Write a letter to Ihar Losik and other political prisoners. They are our heroes, and they should know that they are supported and welcomed at home”.
On the site http://politzek.me you can find stories of political prisoners, and the site http://vkletochku.org helps to send them letters even from abroad and confidentialy.
