“Naftan worker Uladzimir Krysionak was found hanged. A week ago, he was detained by the enforcement officers – they promised him 12 years in prison for participating in the strike. It took me a long time to find the words for this, but I think the same way as you – to be honest, there are no uncensored words to react to this.
Tomorrow I have meetings scheduled with the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, a speech at the international security forum Globsec and a press conference after it. I will print a photo of Uladzimir and take it with me to every meeting. Because if politicians need a specific reason not to deal with dictators, here it is. To agree to Lukashenka's blackmail and agree on something without him fulfilling the main conditions – stopping repressions, releasing political prisoners, fair elections, and now the withdrawal of Russian troops – means to approve his actions.
Uladzimir Krysionak will no longer be able to tell his story. So tomorrow I will do it for him. And today I express my condolences to his family and friends”.
