Belarus political prisoner’s parents hope for public attention, help of West, Poland


kondrus

Uladzimir Kondrus

On August 9, Uladzimir Kondrus who is accused of taking part in anti-president protests in 2010 and kept in Minsk predetention centre No 1 was visited by his parents for the first time.

The man was arrested on June 14 on charges of “participation in mass disorders” on December 19, 2010 at the Independence Square. For nearly six years, the security services were not interested in Kondrus. However, after the independent media published his photographs in the procession on the Freedom Day, the man was placed under arrest.

“At that moment, the son was in the medical unit. He was carried on a stretcher into the visiting room and put on a chair. He hardly could speak. He was in a very poor condition as he had not eaten for two months. But he understands everything. He said that he repeatedly vomited blood and had gastric hemorrhage. We spent there only five minutes because he was too sick to to stay longer,” the father said.

Uladzimir Kondrus repeatedly asked prison doctors to have his stomach pumped, as he suffers from a stomach ulcer. For this reason he did not serve in the army. Moreover, Kondrus needed some painkiller, but they refused to give him anything.

The parents argued Uladzimir into quitting his hunger strike.

After the first allowed visits with the son whom was in very poor condition Kondrus’ parents appealed to the person on duty at the detention center. They wanted to get a meeting with the doctor of the medical unit. As a result, Uladzimir was transferred to the republican prison hospital, which is located on the territory of the prison. Furthermore, prison authorities promised to allow stomach pumping. It is possible that the major role in this was played by the information about the grave health condition of Kondrus.

‘Perhaps we should inform the West so that they could make noise’

“Another thing we want them to do is to change the article because he is charged with participating in the riots. But why not hooliganism? We know that some of the participants were tried for hooliganism, why does Uladzimir fall under this article?” the father wonders.

“We do not know what to do. Maybe the head of state will pardon him? The parliamentary election is coming soon … or perhaps we should inform the West so that they could make a noise about the case? The sanctions have been recently lifted? But you see, another man is jailed for those protests. If some Poles, diplomats, foreigners got to know about it, they might influence on our ambassadors who would return to Belarus and say that the case is discussed in the West …” the parents say.

At the moment, the Kondrus family are just looking forward to see Uladzimir safe and sound, although their situation is very tough – two pensioners have to pay to the son’s lawyer. The parents, the lawyer and Uladzimir’s cannot go into details of the case as they signed a pledge of secrecy.

All major Belarusian human rights organizations issued a special statement demanding immediate release of the Square 2010 participant. They called the case against him a politically motivated one and called Kondrus political prisoner.

belsat.eu, following «Наша Ніва», phot. spring96.org

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