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DWANAŚCIE

PROJEKT SPECJALNY WETALK. MEDIA

"Czarny czwartek" białoruskich studentów. Projekt dotyczący protestów studenckich na Białorusi, represji i hartu ducha.

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W czasie, gdy

Państwo czytają te słowa, aresztuje się niewinnych ludzi.

Projekt Dwanaście został pierwotnie wydany w języku rosyjskim 12 listopada 2021 roku. Do czasu publikacji w języku angielskim, 27 listopada, wiadomo było, że więźniami politycznymi zostało kolejnych jedenastu studentów. Tylko w tym krótkim okresie czasu ogólna liczba uznanych więźniów politycznych wzrosła o 40 osób.

Since 2020, one can speak of a complete breakdown of the rule of law in Belarus. Over 39 000 people have been arrested in relation with the peaceful mass protests for democracy of last year. All independent media houses and over 270 NGOs have been broken up, over 1000 people are now considered political prisoners. At least 60 of them are students or minors.

The repressions continue. Arrests and detentions are completely arbitrary — you don’t have to have committed crime to be locked up: The investigating authorities fabricate evidence, invent cases, and the judicial authorities play along with them.

Complaints about the conditions of detention or inconsistencies in the cases are not considered as valid and are probably not even investigated any further. Not a single citizen of Belarus can fully defend themselves in court, and in case of political offenses, there is no prospect of acquittal or a fair trial.

For an American or European it is hard to grasp what a Belarusian prison truly means: Imprisonment for political reasons is, without exaggeration, a kind of torture not only for prisoners, but also for their relatives.

Deprived of communication and information about the state of their loved ones, they are forced to guess, wait for letters and information from lawyers. This is very exhausting for them, it takes a huge amount of money, time, effort and nerves.

We have listed the punishing conditions that are being created for the political prisoners.

Convicted persons in administrative cases:

Are kept in overcrowded cells and therefore forced to sleep on the floor. Not to mention that the toilet is a hole in the ground. Privacy - nonexistent.

They are being denied access to hygiene products - including toilet paper and menstrual products. Women are instrcuted to use torn clothing instead, but do not even have enough clothes for themselves.

They are being denied access to medication and medical help. Persons with critical health conditions are no exception. Political prisoners are not allowed to receive any packages from outside of prison.

There is little to no chance to receive legal assistance from lawyers and advocates

They are met with violence: Political prisoners can be beaten, deprived of sleep - outlawed for the arbitrariness of the prison guards.

They can be randomly transfered to „punishment cells“. Cold and damp cells without beds and without light - to be shared with actual criminals. Some guards like to pour chlorinated detergents in there to create a suffocating smell for the whole day.

For prisoners for criminal cases in pre-trial detention centers and penal colonies conditions are slightly better. Although even there the administration has complete power over the prisoners:

Prisoners are deprived of contact with the outside world, they do not see their relatives for years, Correspondence is artificially limited (letters being held back)

The can only see relatives in court sessions — but even there they cannot communicate or even touch each other. Recently, political affairs in court are kept closed in order to eliminate this possibility as well.

Prisoners do not have access to news and the latest independent press because almost all independent print press has been eliminated and prisoners do not have access to the Internet. Often the only source of news for prisoners is state TV channels, which distort information and present it in a biased manner.

access to lawyers is difficult due to obstacles created by the administration.

In addition, the administration of correctional institutions have many levers of pressure:

from arbitrary bans on correspondence and the press

to transfers to punishment cells and "special" cells. These cells contain inmates who cooperate with the administration and carry out their instructions in order to create unbearable conditions for the prisoners.

In addition, those who disagree with the pressure of the administration can be kept in places of deprivation of liberty indefinitely, constantly re-judging them under Act 411 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, "Malignant disobedience to the legal requirements of the administration of the correctional institution." There are cases when people were re-judged under this article for a total of ten or more years in addition to a short period (for example, a person served 13 instead of 2 years). This article is often applied to political prisoners who actively defend their rights in places of deprivation of liberty or whom the administration or some security forces simply disliked.

Political prisoners are put on the so-called "offences preventive list". This means that almost all the time when they are outside their cells they are forced to move in handcuffs and perform several other degrading procedures — for example, to leave the cell and say that they are "prone to extremism and other destructive actions" every morning.

The rules for keeping prisoners are constantly changing. For example,

they have recently banned non-relatives of prisoners from making transfers to the colony, in the pre-trial detention center they banned subscriptions to print publications, they also tightened the rules for postages. This was done, obviously, to further worsen the conditions of detention of prisoners, especially political prisoners.

Arbitrary sentences from courts, secret services, cruel conditions in prisons - what is happening in Belarus reminds one of the STASI of the GDR. But how can we decipher what is happening right now?

Here, you can find everything about Criminal Prosecution for Political Reasons in Belarus (2020-2021) in an in-depth analysis made by the human rights center VIASNA.

Additionally, many of the punishments in Belarus cannot be translated into EU law. That is why we tried to describe them as best we can:

Correctional Colonies - Those are prison institutions, where most of the twelve people are held. The detainees are to be "readjusted" here and perform punitive work. Read more about prison conditions above.

Khimia - "The open-prison system is known across the former Soviet Union as khimia (chemistry), a name that goes back to the late 1940s, when convicts were sent to work at dangerous industries, mainly chemical factories, and allowed to live in special dormitories instead of being incarcerated in penitentiaries. These days, a khimia sentence means that a convict will stay in a dormitory not far from their permanent address and work either at their workplace as usual or at a state entity defined by the penitentiary service" - as described by Radio Liberty.

Karcer / Special Detention Cell - This is a particularly perfidious way of punishing prisoners in Belarus, which dates back to the time of the tsars: without contact with the outside world (including letters and parcels from relatives) and with much poorer food compared to other prisoners. For political prisoners, this means that they can no longer receive food parcels either.

12 LISTOPADA

Dokładnie rok temu w białoruskiej stolicy, Mińsku, doszło do nalotów. Ich celem byli białoruscy studenci i młodzi aktywiści.

Czarny czwartek dla białoruskich studentów

9:20 - Alana Gebremariam pisze, że siły bezpieczeństwa włamują się do jej mieszkania. W ciągu trzech godzin aresztowano kolejnych dziesięć osób. Kilka innych osób donosi, że funkcjonariusze sił bezpieczeństwa przychodzą do ich domów. Większości z nich nie udało się uciec.

12:00 - Studenckie czaty i niezależne kanały informacyjne rozpowszechniają informacje o włamaniach, zatrzymaniach i przeszukaniach aktywistów studenckich.

21:55 - Raporty końcowe podsumowują zatrzymanie jedenastu osób: trzech mężczyzn i ośmiu kobiet. Wszyscy zostali przewiezieni do aresztu śledczego KGB na przesłuchanie. Nikt jeszcze nie wie, że będą zamknięci na ponad 2 lata...

Pamiętam ten dzień, dwunasty listopada. Zaczął się odwrót.

Wspomnienia uczestnika protestów studenckich

Pamiętam ten dzień — zaczął się odwrót, czy coś.
Rano dowiedziałam się, że zaczęły się aresztowania studentów. Pojawiała się informacja o przeszukaniach, i ja wyszłam z mieszkania z minimalną ilością rzeczy.

Siedziałam w kawiarni przez wi-fi, tam dowiedziałam się, że zmarł Roma Bondarenko, który został pobity za obronę symboli protestacyjnych na podwórku. Już wieczorem znów uciekaliśmy od OMON-u na akcji upamiętniającej Romę, a oni próbowali nam przeszkodzić.

Zaledwie trzy dni później odbył się nasz ostatni wspólny marsz. Ludzie tłumnie, setkami szli na miejsce śmierci Bandarenki. Potem nastąpiły najokrutniejsze masowe aresztowania od początku demonstracji. Służby bezpieczeństwa strzelały bez ostrzeżenia. Nikt nie wiedział, co stanie się ze studentami.

12 listopada podzielił ruch studencki na "przed" i "po". Stało się jasne, że władze widziały w nas zagrożenie i były gotowe zwalczać nas wszelkimi środkami. Ale nie poprzestały na tym. 27 listopada została aresztowana Tania Ekelchik.

Wszyscy zatrzymani działacze zostali później przeniesieni do aresztu śledczego nr 1 na ulicy Wołodarskogo w centrum Mińska. Stamtąd regularnie otrzymywaliśmy listy. W następnych tygodniach i miesiącach represje i tortury trwały nadal. Zlikwidowano portal informacyjny TUT. BY został zlikwidowany. Większość moich przyjaciół i krewnych wyjechała z kraju. Liczba więźniów politycznych szybko rosła: 200, 500, 800...

Ale wszystko zaczęło się 12 listopada 2020 roku.

12 OSÓB

9 dziewczyn. 3 chłopaków. Średni wiek — 23 lata.
Najstarsza, Volha Filatchankava, ma 42 lata, ma dwoje dzieci. Młodsi — Kasia, Yana, Ilya, Tatsiana i Asia — mają 20 lat.

Pozbawiono ich wolności, możliwości studiowania, rodzin i przyjaciół - ponieważ wybrali sprawiedliwość zamiast milczenia.

Wszyscy z dwunastu skazanych wypowiadali się przeciwko przemocy i bezprawiu, które ogarnęło Białoruś w sierpniu 2020 roku. Opowiadali się za dyplomatycznym dialogiem między protestującymi studentami a władzami instytucjonalnymi/administracjami uniwersyteckimi. Ich aresztowania, procesy i wyroki więzienia były wyraźnie umotywowane politycznie. Nic z tego nie miałoby miejsca w demokratycznym kraju.

Kim jest tych 12 osób? Klikając na zdjęcie, otworzysz ich osobistą stronę. Kliknij na ich nazwisko, aby przeczytać ich historię!

ANASTASIYA BULYBENKA

Date of birth: September 23, 2001
Age: 20 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022
For 2 years she had been studying at the BNTU at the Mechanical Engineering faculty. The first time she was arrested on October 17, 2020, she was sentenced to 10 days and expelled from the university. For the second time - November 12, 2020. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Bulybenko Anastasia Alexandrovna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Asya is a dreamer, with great faith in justice and good. Courageous and loyal, funny and open to everything new. She is fond of drawing - during her time “outside the home” she found her own style. She really likes Remarque. Books for Asya became her salvation - different styles and genres, the opportunity to discuss with neighbours and compare views and perceptions.

She was very afraid to sleep after her sentence in October 2020. Anxiety became Asya's constant companion. She was shuddering from sudden sounds and noises.

There were days when everything seemed bleak, when it seemed hard to breathe. But Asya never gave up and said: "The main thing is not to let the prison into you, to look through the bars." She supports me in every letter, tries very hard to bring a smile, even though we agreed to write truthfully to each other about our lives apart.

Oksana, Nastya's mother

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YANA ARABEIKA

Date of birth: January 17, 2001
Age: 20 years old
Release date (if on time): 30/11/2022
She studied at BSPU on the speciality "Fine arts, drawing and folk art crafts". Participant of the Belarusian Students' Association. Arrested on November 12, 2020. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Orobeiko Yana Ivanovna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Yana is extraordinary. Very sincere and vulnerable, gentle, but at the same time persistent and strong. I’m just crazy about her, honestly. She loves to knit and in general, all kinds of handicrafts, interesting books and facts. She also draws and makes all sorts of paper applications. For example, several times she invented something for me — on the birthday she made a cap in the Detention Center (with a cord!!), and also a hugging paper, that is, she measured the reach of her arms and made a thing with the help of stickers from fruits, so that I could imagine that we are hugging. She also loves to learn and teach.

She tries so hard to support me! She worries about me all the time, does not ask for anything, only asks how everyone is doing and whether I’m coping.

And in general, she was always very worried about everyone, that is … she is the kind of person who sincerely does not understand why all this brutality and cruelty is around.
She finds good things in little things, for example, she is glad that the correctional colony is not as scary as she thought and she is even more comfortable than in the pre-trial detention center.
Valera, Yana’s friend

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ILLIA TRAKHTENBERG

Date of birth: October 10, 2001
Age: 20 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022

Ilya is a student of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of the Belarusian State University. On October 30, he was illegally expelled because of his participation in the student movement. Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 15.

Address for letters: Trakhtenberg Ilya Vitalievich. IK-15, 212 013, Belarus, g. Mogilev, Veino, Slavgorodskoe sh. 183 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Ilya is very principled. He always defends his point of view. He is also an honest, funny, and simply a good person. Kind, self-confident. He values sincerity in people. He is very tolerant of people, never judges them and quickly forgives.

He is fond of architecture, cooking, music, memes. Since childhood, he has played the guitar, in high school he recorded his own album.

Ilya is an optimist, is very open-minded, you can discuss any topic with him.

In prison, he approached his leisure time very responsibly. He reads a lot. He mentioned Dovlatov, Pelevin, Jeff Dyer, the history of Belarus and architecture magazines.

He solves sudoku, word puzzles, plays checkers/chess. Writes lyrics, does not forget to keep fit.

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TATSIANA YEKELCHYK

Date of birth: November 1, 2001
Age: 20 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 15/12/2022

Student of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of BSU. Arrested on November 26, 2020, 14 days after the arrest of all the others. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Ekelchyk Tatiana Andreevna
246 035, Belarus, g. Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Tanya is very kind. She worried about the detained students from her faculty, she tried to help, contact relatives. She believes in mankind’s honesty. Tanya liked to study at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of BSU. She wants to continue her studies after getting out.

Tanya is very persistent and even stubborn. But perseverance serves her well now. In the pre-trial detention center and in the correctional colony, she does not lose her presence of mind, maintains her own rules of life, regularly trains and even remains a vegetarian. And her cellmates are joining her.

Tanya’s hobby is dancing. She has been dancing all her life. She started dancing in kindergarten and is still doing it. Her other hobby is sports, or rather, fitness. Tanya took part in the sports festival of the Belarusian State University, defended the honour of the faculty in powerlifting competitions, and took second place. In the pre-trial detention center, she suffered the most from lack of movement and physical exercise.
Tanya’s mother, Olga

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ALANA GEBREMARIAM

Date of birth: March 7, 1997
Age: 24 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022
Graduate of the Dental Faculty of the Belarusian State Medical University. She could not find a job in her specialty because of being a civic activist. In August 2020, she joined the Coordination Council and became Tikhanovskaya’s assistant on youth affairs. Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Gebremariam Alana Tadege
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Alana is very kind and in fact very vulnerable. That is, it might seem that she is some kind of fighter, but she never was. Alana is also, you know, a little capricious, but it’s cute. She was always very worried, upset, couldn’t sleep at night worrying how to make everything "perfect", and then she was upset because the ideal was unattainable.

We always had fun together, she understood my jokes, we chatted and giggled a lot.

And what always surprised me about her is that she really believed in the law. In the sense that she believed that everything must be done according to the law, so that the law is observed, and so on. That is, she was always for peace and unity, did not hate anyone and did not even despise anyone, she remained true to herself.

In short, Alana is extraordinary. Please, write her letters, she misses everyone and she is sometimes sad.
Valera, friend of Alana

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MARYIA KALENIK

Date of birth: June 1, 1998
Age: 23 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022
Maria Viktorovna Kalenik is a student of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:

Kalenik Maria Viktorovna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian). allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Masha is very sincere and she loves animals. As a teenager after classes, she went to the stable every day and looked after horses. And our cat would not go to bed without her if Masha returned home late. He sat opposite the front door and meowed loudly. Masha also loves small children and enjoys working with them.

It is very important for Masha to look neat no matter what. And she succeeds! Even after spending a year in prison, she looks like she just came from university classes. She says that this calms her down and that this is also her way of protesting.

Masha was afraid that she would be forgotten and left without support, without pills, vitamins, or everyday items.

She was afraid that she would be separated from her friend, whom she met in her cell, and that everything would be in vain and nothing would change, that the struggle had been in vain. She was afraid of the long term and she was afraid for the health of loved ones. She was afraid that she would have to carry heavy things in the correctional colony. At the same time, she surprises us with her resilience and tells little about her fears. Masha is going to serve her term steadfastly and all the time she cheers her loved ones, but when in a bad mood she does not even write a letter.

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KSENIA SYRAMALOT

Date of birth: December 19, 1999
Age: 21 years
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022

Student of the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Belarusian State University, Press Secretary of the Belarusian Students' Association, volunteer of the Human Rights Center "Viasna". Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Syramalot Ksenia Alexandrovna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian). allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Ksenia is very pleasant to listen to. This is a person who creates discussion and explains his arguments as clearly as possible. I remember that even the topic of face creams or relationships turned into some kind of public debate, because she always tried to explain her position as accurately and clearly as possible. She is very interesting to speak with. She is smart and it seems to me that her kindness and courage were a deliberate, intelligent choice — every day she decided what kind of person she should be.

A person of goodness! She knows how to support, knows how to be there or how to say the right words. It still seems to me that in her heart there was a place for everyone. Her support was honest, again it is about her choice.

This kind of honesty helps in creativity. I was lucky to have read several chapters of her prose, as well as poems from "Maladost". It is sad that the magazine did not show solidarity with one of its authors. But she was hardly expecting it.

Ksenia for me is an example of education, youth and freedom.

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YAHOR KANETSKI

Date of birth: June 28, 1999
Age: 22 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022

Student of the Faculty of Biology of the Belarusian State University, a member of the Belarusian Students' Association, an activist of the "Free Trade Union". Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Kanetski Egor Olegovich
IK-3, 211 300, Belarus, v. Vitba, Vitebsk region, Vitebsk district (only russian or belarusian)

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Egor is a simple intelligent guy with a strong sense of justice. Independent in the fullest sense of the word: from the age of 15 he lived and studied alone in Minsk. My son says that a person should be able to live in any condition. He knows how to cook, organizes his life himself. He likes to cook meat, experiments with spices. Once he asked his grandmother for a recipe for cottage cheese cookies.

He travels whenever possible. During the time of imprisonment, he was "addicted" to reading books and writing letters. My son is holding it together, he is calm. There is a lot of positivity in his letters, he tries to calm us down, to joke. I call his letters "psychotherapeutic"!
Alla, Egor’s mother

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HLEB FITSNER

Date of birth: March 1, 1999
Age: 22 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/05/2022 (approx.)

A fourth-year student at the Minsk State Linguistic University. Arrested on November 12. He is the only one who pleaded guilty, but he did not incriminate other defendants. Sentenced to 2 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 17.

Address for letters:
Fitsner Gleb Dmitrievich
IK-17, 213 004, Belarus, Shklov, ul. 1st Factory, 8 (allowed only russian or belarusian language)

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

He is a person who somehow unites people imperceptibly. This is a guy with clear personal ambitions who is ready to work and defend them. A person with an analytical mindset, a pillar of strength. Gleb is very interested in economics and finance, it is always very interesting to talk and argue with him. He has a wide knowledge, we even jokingly call him "an expert in everything".

He also has a very kind heart. He never had conflicts with teachers, and if there were any disputes, then Gleb behaved extremely diplomatically. For all his serious image, Gleb is a person whose ability to laugh at himself can only be envied.

Once, on March 8, Gleb was late for a class. He came with 14 boxes of chocolates and the words "You are the best thing that happened in my life." Gleb, if you ever read this, you should know that you are the very best thing that happened to us! (* tears of 13 girls *) That is why we want to call him not just a "groupmate", but a real friend.

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VIKTORYIA HRANKOUSKAYA

Date of birth: 5 July 1996
Age: 25 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022

A former student of the Belarusian National Technical University who was expelled during the autumn protests in Belarus. Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Hrankouskaya Victoria Ivanovna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Vika is a very kind, sympathetic and caring person, always ready to help. She is incredibly jolly and cheerful. Everyone who was in the courtroom noted that no one smiled more than Vika did. She kept eyeing people and making faces. Vika is extremely stubborn. An ardent fighter for justice, which has repeatedly manifested itself at the university. She is alive. This is the first thing that comes to my mind. Or even better is the word "spark".

Very autonomous and independent, but at the same time very tender in any kind of close relationships. It’s great to be friends with Vika. She always shares her emotions and experiences and she will always listen to you with pleasure and support you.

Vika loves Harry Potter. She read all the books and watched every part of the film a million times. She loves something magical, where good triumphs over evil. Vika reads a lot in prison.

After being detained for 24 hours in September, for a long time she often turned around in the streets. All the time it seemed to her that people were following her. But who among the Belarusians did not feel something similar?

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KASIA BUDZKO

Date of birth: May 25, 2001
Age: 20 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022

An activist, participant of the Belarusian Students' Association, student of the Belarusian State Pedagogical University. Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Budzko Kasia Vitalievna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Kasia is super-duper. She is very active, kind, but at the same time very modest. Any social action costs her a lot, she always thinks very carefully about how to behave with whom, what to say. She loves a lot of things: drawing, riding a bike, rolls with spinach, nature, her family, friends, watching YouTube and TikTok, watching art-house films, lentil cutlets, tasteless chips. It is difficult to mention everything, there wouldn’t be enough space.

She did not want to be in a correctional colony. She was always afraid of the very situation in which she has found herself. But perhaps most of all she was afraid of violence. Kasia always said that she would not resist if anything happened because she didn’t want to be hurt.

And she is also afraid for her future, she is very worried that she has lost 2.5 years and does not understand what happens next.

Kase does not like being in the correctional colony. She writes that it sucks there: you have to do something all the time, and you don’t have much time for yourself.

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VOLHA FILATCHANKAVA

Date of birth: April 6, 1979
Age: 42 years old
Release date (according to the imprisonment term): 30/11/2022

Teacher at BSUIR. A participant in the video message of BSUIR "Teachers Against Violence", took part in the strike. Arrested on November 12. Sentenced to 2.5 years in prison. Contained in Correctional Facility No. 4.

Address for letters:
Filatchankava Olga Alekseevna
246 035, Belarus, Gomel, ul. Antoshkina, 3, IK-4 (allowed only in russian or belarusian).

Click on the name to see a story about her. Click again to return.

Olga is an educated person, but with her own view of things. Integrity and consistency in words and actions are inherent traits of her character. And also — independence in opinion, honesty, decency and justice in actions, respect for the thoughts, feelings and choices of other people. Olga did not even download e-books from the Internet for free, but bought them honestly, and informed the authors so that they knew and were not deceived. She wants these qualities to be not an exception, but a rule in our society.

But along with this, she is distinguished by stubbornness and some arrogance. It is very difficult to argue with her — she knows better and is always confident in herself. But you can convince her in some things.

Olya is a very well-rounded, interested, talented person. The sphere of her hobbies is largely connected with the traditional culture of Belarusians: authentic songs, scenic dances, folk traditions, holidays, rituals. She tried to sow elements of the traditions through wearing a costume with a special knitted belt, and made a ‘kalyadnaya zorka' - a group which went from house to house, singing carols and wishing the owners all kinds of prosperity.

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ICH OSTATNIE SŁOWA PRZED SĄDEM

MÓWIENIE: ANASTAZJA // YANA // ILYA // TATIANA //
ALANA // KSENIA // HLEB // VIKTORIYA // KASIA // OLYA

Anastazja Bybenka i Wiktoria Hrankucka na wystawie w Domu Sztuki w Mińsku. 6 listopada 2020 roku. 6 dni przed aresztowaniem.

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12 MIESIĘCY

Pisma, które przeczytacie, to fragmenty wymiany zdań przez więzienne mury, składające się na historię dwunastu odważnych ludzi, którzy od ponad roku niesłusznie przebywają w więzieniu. Odebrano im lata wolności, ponieważ zdecydowali się walczyć z przemocą i niesprawiedliwością. Niech ich historie, ich zmagania i uśmiechy nigdy nie zostaną zapomniane.

NOV
DEC
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV (again)

LISTOPAD

12 listopada odbyły się dziesiątki aresztowań i przeszukań działaczy młodzieżowych i studenckich. Kilku działaczy nie było w domu i udało im się uciec. Ale większość z nich została aresztowana.

Wiadomo jedynie, że przeszukania prowadzi KGB, a zatrzymani są umieszczeni w areszcie śledczym KGB. Odbyły się pierwsze przesłuchania, do których prawnikom jakoś udało się przebić.

Po 10 dniach areszt przedłużono o dwa miesiące, a wszystkim postawiono zarzuty na podstawie art.342 pkt.1 Kodeksu Karnego Republiki Białoruś - "Organizowanie działań rażąco naruszających porządek publiczny".

Ten dzień podzielił ruch studencki na "przed" i "po". Stało się jasne, że władze widzą w nim zagrożenie i są gotowe walczyć z nim wszelkimi środkami. Represje trwały, a 27 listopada została aresztowana Tatsiana Yekelchyk.

Wszystkich zatrzymanych działaczy przewieziono później do aresztu śledczego nr 1 przy ul. Wołodarskiego, w centrum Mińska. Stamtąd zaczęły regularnie przychodzić listy.

26 listopada 2020 r., Vika Hrankouskaya

Dziękuję, że wciąż jesteś obok mnie. I że mnie nie zapominasz i że mnie się nie wyparłaś.

Jak tam na uniwersytecie? Czy mogłabyś wyjaśnić, jak odebrać dokumenty? Nadal tego nie zrobiłam.

Ale mam nadzieję, że wkrótce otrzymam wieści z zewnątrz.

Mam się dobrze, zdrowie mam w porządku, nikt mnie nie pobił. I dzięki Bogu, że nie ma tu czegoś takiego. I wszystko jest mniej więcej dobrze, nawet stosunek do nas jest ludzki, nie jak na Akrestsina.

Przekaż pozdrowienia Twoim mamie z tatą, mam nadzieję, że ona nie będzie miała nic przeciwko temu, że tu jestem i że przynosisz mnie paczki.

GRUDZIEŃ

1 grudnia 2020 r., Tatsiana Yekelchyk

To po prostu niesamowicie, co się zdarzyło. Jeszcze w czwartek słuchaliśmy organu, a w piątek już odbyła się taka masakra.

Wyobrażałam sobie to, ale nigdy nie można być na to przygotowanym. Nie martwcie się o mnie, to właśnie taki etap w życiu i na pewno kiedyś się skończy.

Wydaje mi się, że na Wołodarce jest nawet lepiej, niż w KGB. Sąsiadki też są miłe. W pokoju są dwie młode dziewczyny, dorosła kobieta i ja. Trzymam się, i Ty się trzymaj!
Wszystko będzie dobrze!

Całuję, ściskam, kocham!

Uśmiecham się, nie upadam na duchu.

Wszystko nie na próżno. Lód na pewno się stopi.

6 grudnia 2020 r., Yana Arabeika

Pierwszy raz od tygodnia! Pooddychałam i się rozgrzałam. Na obiad zjadłam awokado z pomidorami (+ ZUPA). I w końcu poczułam się normalne. Nawet poróżowiałam… tak powiedziały sąsiadki.

Potem narysowałam Ci "tutorial" (zin) "co zrobić, gdy jest smutno". Mam nadzieję, że znalazłeś go w kopercie. I mam nadzieję, że się uśmiechnąłeś! Co myślisz? I jeszcze! Początkowo chciałam zapiąć arkusze nitką.

Ale nie są wydawane w weekendy. Wyjęłam więc zszywki z notatnika i zszyłam je wszystkie. Co myślisz! Osobiście ja jestem z siebie dumna :)))

December 7, 2020, Hleb Fitsner

I believe in people, believe in you and believe in us all!

Gleb :)

P. S. I hope you are having fun there with learning from home, otherwise I will get out and make everything fun myself: D

Happy learning and good luck with your term paper!

December 7, 2020, Alana Gebremariam

Various unpleasant conversations for the first half of the detention time did not do me any good. Now I am better, I have very interesting cellmates, I cannot be very sad with such ladies. Improved my massage skills from having nothing to do. I read "New Hour" (a magazine) and "It Can’t Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis. I watch my "favorite" channels (BT, STV, NTV), in general, lot’s of fun here.

I get very few letters, mostly from fans and female fans with a big delay. I wonder what is going on with the post there. Also my friends send me a lot of food, so I live and do not grieve. It’s a pity that I won’t see you on the holidays, I won’t hug you, we won’t dance on your couch, which was much desired. I will be writing to you and preparing a present for the New Year, just you wait!

December 2020, Illia Trakhtenberg

We watch, by the way, ‘What? Where? When?' (a Russian Intellectual TV show) on Sundays. Last time we almost beat the team of experts with the team of cell # 46.

I put a small sketch of a still life in this envelope. Let it be called "The tea party at Volodarsky."

DRAWING BY ILYA TRACHTENBERG, DECEMBER 2020

December 15, 2020, Volha Filatchankava

I want to hold your hands :)
Looking for yours as a reply now :)
Another song from "Don't Leave"

We don’t know and we don’t remember
Until we face disaster
That our whole world, so huge
Is hanging on a thread alone.
That is called hope
And I want to believe, I want to believe
That this thread won’t break
And life will not end, it will not end.

I miss you very much. I dream of you every night. I know what I will write to Santa Claus on New Year.

And by the way, will you have any concert there or is it all cancelled because of Covid? How’s Ma from dancing? Are she and the child okay? Say hello to everyone!

DRAWING BY Volha Filatchankava FOR CHILDREN, DECEMBER 15, 2020

December 27, 2020, Yahor Kanetski

May the force be with you in 2021, my young Padawans)))!

Cheer up! Celebrate it well.

I love beloved myself))) Egor

DRAWING BY ALANA GEBREMARIAM BY NEW YEAR, END DECEMBER 2020

JANUARY

January 3, 2021, Yana Arabeika

Neighbours send you thanks for the board game, magazines and fish. And I, of course, too.
And also! For the new year, we ate a cake that we made ourselves. It wasn’t bad.

How did you celebrate the New Year? Did you make a wish? Do not write it, otherwise it will not come true.

Request: please send me bread.

I really like the look in which I met the New Year!

On a walk today we all sang a good song together … We were told that we were not allowed to do that (((

I had a funny dream! In it, they gave me boiled eggs, hiding them in a baguette. Even in my sleep I found it funny.

YANA’S DRAWING ABOUT THE ICICLE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW, JANUARY 2021

January 21, 2021, Ksenia Syramalot

I hope you are not depressed now, because even from the news that I know, my anxiety if I were outside would have probably just gone off the scale. So you hold on there.

What can happen to us here? We already have everything stable :) But I feel good enough. Well, write more, if you want, I’ll be glad.

FEBRUARY

February 2021, Volha Filatchankava

Think about it, we walked for an hour and a half today! In a huge courtyard! Super! Everyone is not sitting in this stupid cell. Although there are 4 walls, we can move around :) Personally, I did not freeze because I was jumping all the time.

February 2021, Tanya Yekelchyk

I’m fine too. The mood is joyful and cheerful. The state of health is excellent. We, the political prisoners, treat everything with humor and support each other in everything. Every day there are many more reasons for laughter rather than sadness.

DRAWING BY Ksenia Syramalot, 2021

MARCH

March 2021, Illia Trakhtenberg

The food here is quite passable, for a prison. I only take soup for lunch and sometimes porridge for breakfast. The rest of the dishes are also edible, but I receive parcels regularly, so I don’t need them. I have adapted to the conditions. Of course, there are many questions, but for me now this is not the main thing. But I’m happy with the neighbours, interesting and educated people, we are getting along. It is both good and bad that there are so many good people here. Lots of free time, but not many options to spend it. I try not to get bored.

Something like that, in general. That’s right, I’m managing. My relatives are all right, I have a clear conscience, so I don’t worry.

March 2021, Kasya Budzko

Life in prison goes smoothly, sometimes in fits and starts, in the direction of the flow. What advantages did I see during these 4 months? I think I am slowly getting rid of my ageism, here you are simply forced to interact (and what kind of interaction, literally living shoulder to shoulder) with people of absolutely different ages. Adults seem to me not so scary and I can even behave naturally with them.

My personal boundaries have turned from a huge hula hoop into the neck of a one litre bottle, and yes, I think that’s a plus. What can you do when you don’t have a toilet door in your cell :)

CUTTING FROM A State Printing NEWSPAPER BY KASYA Budzko, SEPTEMBER 2021

Text: "I drank and told the president what I thought, the Instagram live stream exploded with gratitude for what I said. Our people are grateful to the president because all the masks have already been torn off, all the traitors turned inside out. And during the conversation we saw how personally and deeply the president has lived this year. Once again I was convinced that he is a block and a rock. And i think he is ready and should be the president in the next election as well".

APRIL

April 11, 2021, Asya Bulybenka

News. After 5 months!!! They began to give us cutlets and eggs. Cutlets with bread and ketchup = love :) People rejoice!

April 2021, Kasya Budzko

What goofs are you, indeed, you will be writing your theses))) But it will be funnier if you graduate from university before we get out of prison, I understand that is a MEME!

DRAWING BY Yahor Kanetski, 2021

MAY

May 2, 2021, Yahor Kanetski

How am I? Finally found out the date of the trial! There is no excitement yet. Why should I be worrying now? Everything has its time)) Now, you know, spring is a nightmare to me with hormones. My brain is foggy) I feel shrek-like. The day before yesterday I forgot to brush my teeth!

May 11, 2021, Yana Arabeika

I am very worried and think a lot about the trial. But you know, it’s mostly a pleasant excitement in anticipation of meetings. What else can I tell you? It is sad to look out of the window. It is sad to understand that six months have passed and I have not learned much, have done little, achieved nothing. Very sad.

Okay. I miss everyone very much. I hug you tightly.

May 16, 2021, Illia Trakhtenberg

Thank you for stopping by the ~~circus~~ trial

DRAWING BY Yana Arabeika, JUNE 2021

JUNE

early June 2021, Maryia Kalenik

Celebrated my birthday very well! The girls made me a prison cake. I’ll tell you the recipe. Fortunately, the trial was postponed on my birthday and I stayed with the girls :)

All that is left is to celebrate one more birthday, and then I will be home very soon.

June 2021, Volha Filatchankava

Ooo broccoli roll … eeeh. We can only dream about it. It’s good that they started giving us eggs twice a week! This is a delight! By the way, there should be an egg tomorrow.

June 21, 2021, Viktoryia Hrankouskaya

Hello Beautiful!

Now is a break in the court session and you just left. And I miss you already. You are super! You look great, honestly, honestly :)

I have a mini-lunch, because we are not fed here, and we cannot take our own food, so it turns out that I’m on a diet :) In general, it’s even great, I don’t really want to eat, I just want to drink more.

And also yesterday I saw Gorky Park and the fountains, of course, I would like to walk around, eat cotton candy. To get sunburns, ha-ha-ha, but it’s okay, I hope this is the last month of my imprisonment. :)

DRAWING BY Viktoryia Hrankouskaya, JUNE 2021

JULY

July 2021, Ksenia Syramalot

Of course, I will still get an education. But I don’t think it will be here. After all, firstly, most likely after the court decision I will be expelled, and secondly, I do not want to study where in the administration there are people, through whose weakness and fear to be honest with themselves and others I will be sewing uniforms for 1.5 years, when I could have been studying, working and being useful.

When the best years of my youth, my strength, health and beauty will be behind the sewing machine. But I believe that everything comes around and karma exists.

July 2021, Tanya Yekelchyk

And this is a cat that comes to us regularly for breakfast, lunch and dinner, meows and asks for food. We do not see it, we only hear it, but I imagine it looks like this :)

July 2021, Illia Trakhtenberg

The verdict was read out. The speech of the prosecutor and the verdict of the court itself, of course, no comments, although I was not surprised (I have already forgotten how to be surprised). In such a situation, the most appropriate reaction is to laugh. Apparently, we are so dangerous …

July 2021, Yana Arabeika

We went to the shower. The snow on the street was falling so beautifully. It was fresh and sunny.

When I returned after a shower, I found a stack of letters on the bed. Seven were addressed to me! I was terribly happy. And I was looking for yours. Found it. I read it first. (Me, when I found your letter)

Then I read the rest of the letters. And then they turned off the light :))))) or it turned off itself. Now we are sitting in such a pleasant intimate darkness (rather semi-darkness). The girls are whining, but I really like it. Maybe I have gone crazy :)

DRAWING BY Yahor Kanetski, 2021
Text: This is me — sad on the bunk (the prison bed) :))))))))

AUGUST

August 17, 2021, Alana Gebremariam

I read a lot of books and magazines (now I’m reading Remarque’s "Shadows in Paradise", a cool book, I will write my thoughts later). I think about the future, I try not to concentrate on the negative and <…> days. I hug, kiss, love. Send my hugs and ardent greetings to Zhenya, not a single letter from him has arrived.

August 2021, Illia Trakhtenberg

I felt like a Zimbabwean child when I ate ice cream for the first time.

DRAWING OF MASHA KALENIK, YEAR 2021

SEPTEMBER

September 2021, Viktoryia Hrankouskaya

There is definitely not enough time to write, I simply do not have the time to answer to everyone! Say hello to her and give her a big hug. And to everyone else!

So far I do not see anything unmanageable here, it is very reminiscent of the army, only for women.

September 26, 2021, Yahor Kanetski

To postcards lovers!

Save the world from the omnipresent squirrels)) Once again my respect for trolling. What is life without banter? I understood that I was caught on <…>, heh. OK. what were we talking about?
Comrades! As of 09/26/21 … We have exceeded the five-year plan! Since then we have:

1. Accepted about 500 letters (joke pyad-tsot * badam-shh *)
2. We sent about 330 envelopes in return!
3. The coverage of cities is colossal, comrades! Among them: Minsk, Grodno, Pinsk, Baranovichi, Gomel, Mogilev, Moscow and of course I am not afraid of this word VILEIKA !!! Hurray, comrades!
4. The strongest worker of pen and parchment … * drum roll * … Kanetskaya Alla Viktorovna, my mother! Applause, comrades!

Congratulations should be conveyed urgently.
I dare say, comrades, that infinity is not the limit!

Everyone is entitled to a reward … a big human thanks =))))

Hurray, comrades!

Onward to positive growth of 0.1%
Secretary of the Secretariat, Egor

September 26, 2021, Viktoryia Hrankouskaya

Yes, and I myself think that we are all very strong. How many have we already endured and we will be even stronger :)
Like you are! After all, it’s hard for you there too, especially in the courts, seeing us not in a cage and smiling.

For this reason, I asked my grandmother not to come to the courts or visit. Well, it’s okay, we will meet later :)
And they are also waiting for me in one architectural bureau. I worked there before my arrest. The other day I received a letter from a friend saying that they have posted my desktop on their social media. And there are my things that are waiting for their owner. Haha.

So I even have a job, and I will not be lost with my character.

P. S. Everything will be alright.

September 30, 2021, Masha Kalenik

I love you very, very much, I kiss and hug you! See you soon, Mom. I’m waiting for a letter!

That is me waiting:

September 2021, Volha Filatchankava

For several days in a row radio B. E has been playing. I like it because there are a lot of good songs like Aria, Bi-2, Time Machine, Okean Elzy, etc., etc.

And there are foreign ones of high quality. In short — it is super :) Gomel FM was also quite good, but recently they have introduced a section of criminal news. Bee. Oh, just switched to Unistar. Hurray :) Good too :)

In principle, it’s good that they switch radio stations from time to time, and not that constant Russian radio on Volodarka (previous detention place in Minsk).

Comic strip by Yana Arabeika "A story about a flower", September 2021

Комикс Яны Оробейко "История про цветочек"

OCTOBER

October 8, 2021, Volha Filatchankava

How beautiful you are. I want to see you soon so much, not in the photos, but in the free world, and I want to hug you tightly… Okay, I will not cry here :) Now in the afternoon I want to sleep so much :)

You know, I’ve already written this, but it seems to me that I don’t write enough about how much I love you all (including you). It seems to me that all these words are few… I love you so much! I can’t! And everyone-everyone-everyone!

October 17, 2021, Viktoryia Hrankouskaya

There are walks every 2 hours for 10 minutes, it’s good, we have time to be outside at different times of the day. And in the evening I write letters at sunset, what a beauty it is.

And a lot of greenery: trees, flowers. And cats are running on the tracks. Mmm-cuteness.
My mood is joyful and, as always, cheerful, I’m searching for charms in everything. :) And I wish the same to you!

My mini-story ends.

I hug you tightly. I wish you a good day and bright emotions.

Take care of yourself and your health =)

October 24, 2021, Asya Anastasiya Bulybenka

Dear mom, hello! I’m in the correctional colony!
Saw:

huge sky with "floating" clouds :) (has it always been so huge ???)
sunset :))
dawn :))
many-many-many BIRDS !!!
2 teenager cats and a mother cat (live nearby, can be seen from the window: D (there no "lashes" !!!)))
F.L.O.W.E.R.S. !!! Roooses :) And all sorts, a lot of flowers
Stars

When I was going into the gate, my heart almost broke. These emotions are hard to put into words, but I felt something like liberation :)

And when I heard: "Don't keep your hands behind your back, you’re not in jail, you don’t need to anymore!" the first, the third, <…> time a day — AAA: D I want to say that in the pre-trial detention center it seemed that if we had to unlearn "hands behind his back, face to the wall" for weeks, if not more, but it turned out a moment- and that’s it :)

Everything else, of course, will never be forgotten. But now it’s not about that :)

MASHA KALENIK RATED HER LOOK AS 7 OUT OF 10, OCTOBER 10, 2021

AGAIN NOVEMBER

November 4, 2021, Yana Arabeika

Complaint 1. My legs are so swollen (

So. Here’s another question. How is your health/condition and things?

We also have news: placement is tomorrow.
And thanks in conclusion: THANKS for everything that you do and do not do. And thanks for giving the address of my location to my grandmother.

I put a kind of a postcard in an envelope and if everything is ok with you, then read all the signatures as if "in case everything is fine with you." Hugs and kisses. Your corn.

POSTER BY YANA Arabeika, NOVEMBER 2021

Co zrobimy, kiedy wyjdę z więzienia.

- Yana Arabeika.
6 listopada 2021 r.

Dziękuję, że dotarłeś tak daleko

i że czytacie historie naszych przyjaciół, którzy nadal są uwięzieni. Odważnych ludzi, którzy zostali pozbawieni wolności, ponieważ wybrali pokój zamiast przemocy - i sprawiedliwość zamiast milczenia.

PROJEKT DWANAŚCIE - Biblioteka

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