Andrei Sannikov About Supporting Political Prisoners: We Should Break The System

Belarusians should know the names of those who suffer for their freedom.

How can we help political prisoners today? Former political prisoner Andrei Sannikov, the leader of the European Belarus Civil Campaign, gave an interview on this matter to Charter97.org.

– Tell us, please, how Belarusians supported you and your family after your illegal arrest in 2010?

– The support was very strong. I think the foundation for the solidarity was laid in 2010-2012, we saw it in 2020 and it still exists.

The cases of political prisoners were dealt with not only by human rights organizations, but by all Belarusians. The brutal dispersal of the Square came as a shock to people. There were dispersals before, but this one was the most cruel and blatant.

People responded very sincerely, lively, they were helping a lot. I can give an example of how our son and Iryna, he was 3.5 years old at that time, were simply bombarded with toys.

Mom [Andrei Sannikov’s wife Iryna Khalip - Ed.] couldn’t walk with him [the Lukashenka regime sentenced Iryna Khalip to two years in prison with a delay in 2011 - Ed.], Grandmother walked. People recognized them on the street and offered help. In general, there was not just solidarity, but a movement of solidarity precisely at the level of all Belarusians.

– What is the difference between the situation in 2010 and the current situation?

– The situation is terrible now because the methods that were tested on us are being applied in full today. Also, they are openly resorting to physical violence. They are using psychological pressure - deprivation of the opportunity to communicate with families, bans on visits, phone calls, and isolation in penal colonies and prisons - deliberate murders were added.

Crimes against humanity are taking place before the eyes of the whole world, and the world does not really want to react. This is the worst thing for the political prisoners personally and for their relatives.

As for internal Belarusian problems, many relatives are perplexed that, despite the impressive and growing number of funds and organizations helping political prisoners, they do not receive any support.

– How can an ordinary Belarusian help political prisoners?

– We need to support families more, to look for relatives and acquaintances, who should find opportunities to support their relatives, prisoners of conscience. Relatives of many political prisoners were forced to leave Belarus. You can help through them. They will definitely find channels to support their imprisoned relatives.

Today, political prisoners are deprived of everything: money in their accounts, food (the ability to buy food), and medical parcels, and this is deliberate murder, especially in relation to people with chronic diseases. They deprive them of food parcels, they don’t even let in vitamins, which have always been considered untouchable. Vitamins have always been allowed. Even the prison administration understood that support was needed with such poor nutrition and medical care.

In fact, if you want to help, you will find an opportunity. This does not require special campaigns, spotlight only gets in the way sometimes.

– What is the most important thing, in your opinion, in helping political prisoners?

– The first principle is no PR. You can't promote prisoners. I now see how such actions greatly harm those people who are being promoted, and indeed all the political prisoners in general.

Secondly, it is necessary to obtain information about political prisoners by any means, about the conditions of their imprisonment and their health issues. It is necessary to publish information about jailers and methods of pressure on political prisoners, with the names of the criminals.

Thirdly, it is necessary to be guided by the basic needs of prisoners: to ensure the minimum amount in the accounts in their places of detention; try to transfer nutrition parcels in all possible ways and establish communication through various channels;

The fourth is to demand the toughest sanctions and sever all relations with the Lukashenka regime if all political prisoners are not released.

And finally, the fifth - break the system. You can always find an opportunity to support political prisoners and send messages.

Greetings reached me through state radio channels and through official newspapers. People got creative and the system broke down.

Of course, financial aid is very important for the families of political prisoners who are abroad, and most of them are struggling financially.

It is a shame not to know the people who suffer today for their political beliefs and support for a free Belarus.

We must know all their names and help them in every possible way.