"He was hungry as if from Auschwitz, ate neither meat nor vegetables." What is known about the death of the Babruysk journalist, against whom a criminal case was opened in Poland

Uladzimir User (Lazarau) was 70 years old. He died on Saturday evening, December 6, in a homeless shelter run by the charitable Catholic organization Caritas in Białystok, his acquaintance Siarhei (name changed) told Svaboda (RFE/RL's Belarusian service).

"He went to the toilet. He felt ill. They called an ambulance. Two ambulances arrived. They tried to resuscitate him, but couldn't. Resuscitation lasted for half an hour," Uladzimir's acquaintance recounts.

"Hungry as if from Auschwitz"

According to Svaboda's interlocutor, Belarusian special services continued to monitor User after his arrest in Poland. He adds that he does not believe someone else could have been behind Uladzimir's death. The Belarusian's health was already very poor.

"When the ABW (Poland's Internal Security Agency) took him, he was out of breath for twenty minutes. It was very difficult for him. He was so thin.

He ate neither vegetables, nor fruits, nor meat. Only if someone treated him, then he ate. Hungry as if from Auschwitz…

When the ABW picked him up, his breakfast was — tea and a piece of bread. And he had nothing else. He lived very poorly," Siarhei recalls. In addition, User suffered from diabetes and had heart problems. His legs were swollen, with wounds from which lymph flowed, the interlocutor says.

Uladzimir was hospitalized three times in Poland. Siarhei knows that Uladzimir sometimes fell at home and couldn't get up. When they tried to get him into an ambulance, he couldn't lift his leg onto the step. At home, he didn't clean and rarely washed himself.

"He could go to the store and walk 200 meters for an hour, stopping 5-6 times. Once he went to the store, fell. People called an ambulance. He refused to go to the hospital," the interlocutor says.

In Białystok, Uladzimir recently did not attend events or political actions, as he lacked the strength. Another acquaintance recalled seeing him once at a solidarity action of the Belarusian diaspora with political prisoners.

Uladzimir User did not have insurance in Poland. For the three times he was hospitalized, he was billed. One of them was for more than two thousand euros, says Siarhei. Whether anyone has to pay them is unknown. Uladzimir's relatives live far abroad. It is not yet clear if they will come for the funeral.

Uladzimir User previously lived in Babruysk. He worked as a journalist for the city's oldest non-governmental socio-political newspaper, "Babruyski Kuryer," and was a member of the Belarusian Association of Journalists.

User is Uladzimir's real surname, Lazarau is a creative pseudonym. "He worked in the newspaper for so many years, wrote so many articles and stories. And to tarnish a person's (reputation) — that's enough. People leave such comments... He worked so hard, how many actions he participated in Belarus! His friends include Seviarynets and Statkevich. He did a lot of good for Belarus. He wanted Belarus to be free. He wanted to wait for Statkevich. He was sincere for Belarus," says Siarhei.

Siarhei adds that Uladzimir was psychologically distressed, seeking a way to return home. According to Siarhei, Uladzimir was like a hippie. He was a Beatlemaniac, and at home, he had a large collection of records by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd.

"Even ten years ago, he was quite lively," says Siarhei.

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