Former political prisoners on life after prison


Belsat learned about the fate of former political prisoners who were released in the late summer. Only Statkevich is leading a public life.

Rubtsou left Belarus at the request of his wife and son

Driver by profession, the 54-year-old Yury Rubtsou, who was a defendant in a number of trials (for wearing a T-shirt with inscription “Lukashenka, go away!”, for insulting the judge by the word “scum” and alleged evasion of punishment), is now abroad.

Юры Рубцоў. Фота spring96.org
Yury Rubtsou. Photo spring96.org

– You were active on Facebook, but on October 6 it all stopped – no more records since…

– At the request of my son and wife, I was forced to leave Belarus and ask for political asylum in Germany. I was intentionally refused employment at home, and in the case of non-payment of the paarsite tax, I again could end up in jail. But I’m ready to fight the regime, and I am confident that it can be toppled without urging people to take to the streets against the heavily armed policemen. However, reading the programs of many opposition members, I do not see the one that our country really needs – I am getting more and more convinced that our oppositionists seek only to occupy the throne of Lukashenka.

My son still has problems on the job because of me, but now it is easy for them to blame it on the difficult economic situation in the country. Now my wife and I are in the refugee camp at Nuremberg. I cannot say that the conditions are good, but in defense of Germany I want to say that I admire the country, which after the Second World War has sheltered so many refugees.

Vaskovich wants to do journalism and politics

Yauhen Vaskovich, who turns 26 in February, spent more than four years in prison for setting fire to the building of the Babruisk KGB. Yauhen was a member of the 2010 Square protest and was detained the day after the rally of solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners was held in January 2011.

Яўген Васьковіч. фота mfront.net
Yauhen Vaskovich. Photo mfront.net

– I am doing fine (laughing). I improved my health, got some education, rested a little. With new energy I can begin to engage in core activities – journalism, and of course, politics.

– You said that the “Babruisk Courier” editor in chief did not even fire you – was it the case?

– Yes, everything is fine for me there.

– And what about the politics, any plans?

– Currently, I’m in the Young Front, engaged in regional activities. Now, with neither the election nor something like that coming soon, you can do that more actively to somehow improve the situation.

– Are you planning to study?

– I would like to study by correspondence, to combine studies with my activities, but there is no such possibility. I would like to apply for journalism studies – I think this is the best profession for a politician, too, because it involves dealing with people.

Prakapenko “leading normal life”

Apart from Yauhen, there was another man in the case of KGB building fire, later recognized a political prisoner – Artsyom Prakapenka. We asked Yauhen for his phone number:

Артем Прокопенко. Фото БелаПАН
Artsyom Prakapenka. Photo BelaPan

– In general, there is no contact with him. His own parents cut off all contacts. From prison he got to house arrest, bitterly joked Yauhen.

– Is it like that with you or with everyone?

– With everyone …

But we decided to try to contact Artsyom and found his contact info:

– I am not going to engage in any political or social activity. There is nothing to tell. I work. I’m going to lead a normal life. I have no contacts with the people, said Artsyom, apparently alluding to former friends in misfortune.

Dzyadok writing memoirs

The Anarchist Mikalai Dzyadok, convicted of “hooliganism” for the attack on the Russian embassy in the summer of 2010 and participation in an unsanctioned rally at the General Staff of Belarus, had been imprisoned for more than four years. Currently,

Mikalai is actively studying:

Мікалай Дзядок. Фота фота Студэнцкага прадстаўніцтва ЕГУ
Mikalai Dzyadok. Photo of EHU student union

– I got reinstated at the EHU on the program “International Politics and Economics”, a lot of time is taken by studies, it is a large load. I also replenish the knowledge of what happened in politics, economy and culture in the world over the past five years, I was isolated. I read, I try to analyze how the world has changed. I came to a conclusion that the rapid changes of the global scale are inevitable, and Belarus will also be affected.

– Are there any plans for the near future?

– So far, the most important thing is learning. Also, I write down some of my memories and impressions of prison. I hope there will be people for whom they are interesting and useful.

Alinevich travelling

Another person involved in the cases of arson of the Embassy and the General Staff (and charged with attack on the Shangri-La casino and the office of the Moscow-Minsk bank), a 32-year-old electronics engineer Ihar Alinevich, was not particularly talkative. The ex-member of the team developing a Russia-Belarus satellite, in the past worked on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, he did not share his plans:

Ігар Аліневіч. Фота belsat.eu
IIhar Alinevich Photo belsat.eu

– I can hardly say something informative. Sharing strategic plans is a bad tone. Now mostly I spend time with family and friends, travelling in Europe – I really want to quench the thirst of the elementary freedoms that I had been deprived of. I am slowly consuming a huge amount of information that accumulated over the five years. The prison not only knocks you out of the rut, but also from the flow of life in general. It is a separate world there. I need to be integrated into a new life in a thousand little things.

Yauhen Balinski,  belsat.eu

TWITTER