Journo Alyaksandr Ivulin draws, writes poetry, plays chess behind bars. He was arrested 6 months ago
Alyaksandr Ivulin, a journalist at the sports media outlet Tribuna, a blogger and a football player of Krumkachy team, has been behind bars for over six months. In his letters from the remand prison, the man tells the addressees about the daily routine, writes poems and draws, Tribuna.com reports.
In total, more than 700 letters have been received from Ivulin in six months. It is amazing but true – there the prisoner discovered his hidden talents for composing poems, art activities, playing chess; Alyaksandr practices speaking the Belarusian language and reads a lot, his friends say.
“Ivulin reported on his making progress in playing chess in the Belarusian languagr. He does not have difficulty using it when replying to letters, he does not consider possible mistakes to be a problem,” Tribuna.com writes.
Ivulin was detained in early June in Minsk. After spending 30 days in the notorious detention centre on Akrestsin Street, he was not released.
Notably, during Alyaksandr’s being in ‘Akrestsin’, food parcels were not being handed over to prisoners; they might be deprived of mattresses and pillows; in most cases, inmates were taken out of the cells only when handcuffed and with their hands raised behind their backs. On the night of July 10, the journalist was placed in remand prison Nr 1, where the confinement conditions were reported to be better: inmates get mattresses and bedsheets, they even have a chance to take a shower or watch TV.
Later, the arrestee charged under Part 1 of Article 342 of the Criminal Code (‘organisation and preparation of actions that grossly violate public order’). According to the Belarusian authorities, they have photos of Alyaksandr going down the roadway during the protests, which gave ground for accusing him of ‘blocking off traffic’. The maximum punishment under the article is three years in jail.
The Belarusian human rights community recognised Alyaksandr Ivulin as a political prisoner. In early December 2021, it became known that Alyaksandr‘s case was submitted to the prosecutor’s office: the trial may start soon.
Belsat.eu
