Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “December 29 – 7 months from the day Siarhei Tsikhanouski was detained. During this time, I heard his voice only once. Children have never heard his voice at all. On the New Year Eve, he will not present his daughter a doll, hug his son and say that he loves them.
What is he guilty of? Today, By_Pol's initiative published an audio recording of a conversation between former Interior Minister Karaeu. He calls the proud and brave Belarusians "the most submissive population" and says that if there is no evidence of Siarhei's guilt, "you have to think up and put him in jail". This regime has no other "justice”.
They get angry when they are called fascists. Still, praise for authoritarianism, pressure on independent media, fabricated political cases, and the state's priority over the individual are all signs of a fascist state.
Siarhei, like other political prisoners, is guilty only of wanting respect for the Belarusians. He wanted people to be appreciated, not disdained. He wanted honor and freedom to be held in high esteem. Now, 169 political prisoners are imprisoned for this. More than 30 thousand people were tried for this.
We all knew before that the arrest of Siarhei Tsikhanouski was a provocation. But By_Pol's investigation proves that he is in jail on wholly fabricated evidence. And everyone involved will be held accountable.
Now Siarhei cannot wish all of us a Happy New Year. But we can congratulate him. Write him and other political prisoners a letter or send a postcard. Let them feel that Belarusians love and wait for them".
