Sevyarynets told how he was released from the pre-trial detention center for three days home. And he honestly returned to his cell

According to Sevyarynets, he gained his first serious prison experience in 1998, when he was still a student. At that time, the 20-year-old activist found himself in Valadarka prison after an action against integration with Russia. The reason for his arrest was an incident at a concert dedicated to the unification of Belarus and Russia, where Pavel intercepted the microphone to express his protest.

However, as the politician claims, in addition to the charge of disrupting this event, investigators began to pile on other accusations, saying that he "would not leave prison." According to Sevyarynets, the articles under which he was accused provided for sentences of 15-20 years of imprisonment.

Sevyarynets notes that at that time, democratic forces still existed in Russia, putting pressure on Lukashenka's regime with the demand to release Belarusian oppositionists. On this wave, something incredible happened: Sevyarynets was allowed to be released for three days to attend the funeral of his young nephew — his younger sister's son:

"Lukashenka's regime might have thought then: 'Well, alright, we'll let him out so he can leave. We'll give him a chance. We'll release him for his nephew's funeral.' I've never in my life seen anyone released for a nephew's funeral. It was simply 'go out and play and come back.' I was supposed to return in three days. But with the subtext, 'well, that's it, get out of here.'"

However, after the funeral, the activist faced a choice: return to his cell, where a huge sentence awaited him, or escape. Friends offered to arrange a fictitious illness to stay free.

"Friends say: 'Let's do this. There are doctors who are ready to say that you have appendicitis or some unknown illness, and you can't return to prison. And then you'll see, a week or two, a month, maybe it will be forgotten.'"

But it was precisely in the parking lot near the polyclinic, according to Pavel, that what he calls a "reboot" happened:

"With such a plan, we drive up to Polyclinic No. 33; we needed to pick up medical papers. And as soon as we drive up to the parking lot, I experience something I've never experienced in my life. A kind of light descends on me from heaven: 'You don't need this polyclinic, you don't need this hospital, return to prison.' It was just like a computer rebooted. I sit there and realize that I need to return to prison.

I say: "Yes, guys, stop. I'll go back." — "Pasha, what are you doing?!" — they were all shocked by the plan. I refused that plan, I refused to run away anywhere. I realized that it was simply the truth, which I had to follow."

Despite his friends' shock, Pavel was at the gates of the pre-trial detention center at 6 PM on April 21, 1998. Just before entering, Alyaksey Fralou managed to hand him a New Testament, which he placed on top of his bag.

"I knock: "Who's there? What do you want?" — "It's Sevyarynets, I'm back." — "Get out of here!" What to do? Now they'll say I escaped. A few minutes later, they finally open the door: "Who is it?" — "Sevyarynets." — "Sevyarynets? You're back? Well, alright, come in."

As Pavel recalls, over the next few weeks, he read the Gospel and finally came to believe in God on May 31, 1998.

"Three days later they released me. And that convinced me that God exists. They changed [the imprisonment] to a written undertaking not to leave. Four months later, the case was closed "due to a change in circumstances." I heard such a formulation in a criminal case for the first and last time in my life: "closed due to a change in circumstances." That's it. I'm free, I continue to be involved with "Malady Front" and writing."

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