"I only see darkness." Political prisoner Vatslau Areshka has almost lost his sight in captivity
He is serving eight years in prison.
Vatslau Areshka, an activist of the independent REP trade union who has been held in captivity for almost four years, has almost lost his sight, an informed source told Radio Svaboda.
"He says his eyesight has almost disappeared, he only sees darkness now. His mood, of course, is not very good. Besides his sight, his general health has also deteriorated," the source said about the political prisoner.
Vatslau Areshka was detained in April 2022, and a year later sentenced to 8 years in prison. For the third year now, the political prisoner has been held in Ivatsevichy penal colony No. 22.
Due to his retirement age, the political prisoner is not forced to work, but his physical condition is such that he has to minimize his movements.
Human rights activists have included Vatslau Areshka in the list of political prisoners who are at particular health risk and require the earliest possible release.
"In winter, they talked to him with hints that he would be released soon, but nothing happened," a source said about Vatslau Areshka.
Former political prisoners who were fortunate enough to be released last year also spoke about Vatslau Areshka's situation.
Thus, in September, at a press conference in Vilnius, former political prisoner Aliaksandr Mantsevich, who also served his sentence in colony No. 22, spoke about Areshka. According to Mantsevich, Areshka at that time already saw almost nothing, although he used to read books.
"Other prisoners help him. Walking arm-in-arm to the dining hall, Vatslau asks if there's sun in the sky. When he goes to the toilet at night, he sometimes stumbles and falls because he can't see well," Aliaksandr Mantsevich recounted about Areshka.
In January 2026, Vatslau Areshka will turn 70 years old. According to human rights activists from "Viasna", Vatslau Areshka tried to apply for disability in the colony, but has not yet succeeded.
Political scientist and public figure, REP trade union activist Vatslau Areshka was sentenced in early 2023 under five articles of the Criminal Code, including "creation of an extremist formation and participation in it," and received 8 years of imprisonment.
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