"Vitold said: 'What are you doing, what are you doing...' And the cops later screamed about a sea of blood." A political prisoner from the next cell told about Ashurak's death

Uladzimir Harokh on the day a group of political prisoners arrived in Warsaw. Photo: "Lusterka"

The essence of the "Karelichy case" — people were accused of allegedly preparing for mass riots in Navahrudak and some other settlements in the summer of 2020, and planning to set fire to buildings, resist authorities, and block roads with felled trees. Harokh was detained on election day, August 9, 2020.

"One scumbag was found who betrayed me"

"Before my arrest, I was involved in woodworking, I was an ordinary craftsman. But in 2020, I couldn't stand aside.

It all started when I formed a group of like-minded people in Navahrudak: we printed and distributed leaflets, preparing for a meeting with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's proxies. I was detained even before the elections, but released. And then what is called a classic of the genre happened — a traitor was found.

This scumbag gave up everything down to the smallest detail, even my notes in a notebook. On August 6, I noticed a trap near the house where I was doing renovations. The landlady's son drove me out through a blockade, there was a chase, but I managed to escape into the forest. I hid with sisters, in the forests, until I was transferred to Lida.

That's when I met Vitold Ashurak. Vitold arranged with a courageous woman who was not afraid to shelter me. But on August 9, I was tracked down and arrested right in her apartment.

Павялічыць

Uladzimir Harokh. Photo from his Odnoklassniki page

Hrodna and Baranavichy. "The criminals solidarized with us"

In the Hrodna pre-trial detention center, they tried to pressure me through criminals. Operatives deliberately put me in a cell with the "overseer" for Hrodna, so that "educational work" could be carried out there. But after several hours of conversation, when I explained what we were fighting for, their attitude changed.

As a result, we became friends, and they fully solidarized with us. The operatives hoped for pressure, but instead, we got support from the criminals.

Then came Baranavichy. I recorded all violations in a notebook: how they forbade drying clothes, how food was delayed.

This notebook was later taken from me, and everything was scribbled over with a pen, but the administration got scared then — we were allowed to wash and dry things on radiators.

Павялічыць

Uladzimir Harokh after his release. Photo: mostmedia.io

Hell in Shklov

On May 3, 2021, I ended up in penal colony No. 17 in Shklov. The administration immediately forbade other inmates from communicating with me, threatening them with problems.

People were tortured in Shklov. They threw me to the floor, stretched my legs until my tendons cracked, and beat me. My body remained black with bruises for three weeks.

In the isolation cell (SHIZA), we were tortured with cold: the window vent was not closed even in frosts, there was a constant draft. To avoid freezing, we had to constantly move, jump.

The food was terrible. One day, they served extra food; it turned out the sanitation service had arrived.

When I saw my reflection, I was shocked: at 175 cm tall, I weighed about 60 kg, having lost more than 20 kilograms. There was no fat left on my buttocks, only muscles covered with skin. A walking skeleton stood before me.

Vitold Ashurak's Last Days

On May 14, 2021, I was put in the isolation cell (SHIZA) based on a fabricated report. And there, in the next cell, was Vitold.

I remember three dark dates. On May 19, I heard them call him: "Underdeveloped." On the 20th, I heard sounds as if he was being hurt; he only said: "What are you doing, what are you doing..." And on May 21, at lunchtime, the guard called him to get food, but Vitold no longer responded. Then a bunch of cops rushed in, turned up the radio full blast, shouting something about a "sea of blood."

In the morning, they told me: Vitold died. It was a shock impossible to describe in words.

There was an inmate named Ulad there, a former special forces soldier, convicted for drugs. I heard a cop tell him: "Be careful, so it doesn't turn out like with Ashurak, that we barely got away with it." Obviously, he was placed with Vitold for "educational work."

Павялічыць

Screenshot from the Investigative Committee's video, released as "Vitold Ashurak's last day" video

After Vitold's death, I realized: they could simply kill me or make me disabled here.

Mahiliou Prison

Afterwards, I was transferred to prison regime. In Mahiliou prison No. 4, they constantly put mentally ill people in my cell. There was one who raped a child, for example. This was done specifically to make me go crazy.

Mostly, these were cunning and vile people. At first, I tried to be nice, I was such a well-mannered "nerd," but they took advantage of it. I had to show my teeth, make them wash dishes and clean.

The only political prisoner I crossed paths with in prison was Artsiom Sakau, Tsikhanouski's cameraman. We became friends. He was terribly pressured: constant isolation cells (SHIZA), denunciations from low-status inmates.

Artsiom returned to Shklov, to this murderous penal colony No. 17. I ask everyone: sound the alarm for him! This is a place where people are physically destroyed.

Release: Bags over heads and 10 guards for 10 people

The release was sudden. A colonel came, then some deputy. They said: there is an opportunity to leave, but only to Lithuania. At 5:30 AM — "15 minutes to gather." They put us on a bus, put bags over our heads, twisted handcuffs behind our backs so that our hands felt like they were falling off. 10 guards for 10 people.

When the bags were removed, I saw that we were in the Chernihiv region. They brought us to Ukraine. The Ukrainians welcomed us very warmly, even though they are at war.

Now I am free, but my manuscripts, my program for building a new state, my poems — everything was destroyed or stolen. Even photographs and letters from Belarusians that kept me going were stolen. But all of this remained in my head.

I am not going to remain silent, like some others. My children remained in Belarus; they are now effectively hostages. But I will not lick Lukashenka's ass. If I fall silent, it means the struggle was in vain.

Our country is sick, and not only Lukashenka is sick. The sick Soviet mentality of many leaders and the indifference of "neutral" citizens are sick. We need a deep transformation.

Victory will be ours, that's not even up for discussion. If you don't believe in victory — you've already lost. And I believe."

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