Statkevich — to Kolesnikova: People are not cattle at the market

"Prison is an absolutely unnatural place for human beings. Therefore, all prisoners dream of being free as soon as possible, and the demand 'Freedom for political prisoners at any cost!' seems understandable and entirely reasonable.

Especially for the relatives and friends of political prisoners. However, in this matter, over decades since the appearance of political prisoners in our country, certain patterns and tendencies have emerged. I can judge them by my own experience, as I have been released early three times as a political prisoner.

People become political prisoners because they can no longer tolerate the order established by a regime that the people did not elect. They protest against such orders, demand genuine elections, and end up in the institutions of the regime's penitentiary system. Democratic countries initially support the political demands of the protesters, and then switch to demands for the release of political prisoners. Sanctions are introduced, diplomatic contacts between Western countries and the regime begin to achieve the release of political prisoners. Representatives of the regime willingly enter into such contacts, which turn into a trade-off for lifting sanctions in exchange for the release of people.

The reasons why people went out to protest and became political prisoners are somehow forgotten. Especially since representatives of the regime argue about threats to independence from Moscow, about the regime's lack of political maneuver due to sanctions that hinder the defense of independence.

After this, another "young genius" inevitably appears on the Western side, who proposes an idea as simple as a rake — we cannot force this regime into democracy, but we can detach Belarus from Moscow. We only need to agree that he renounces the most odious actions — for example, releases political prisoners, because otherwise it's awkward to deal with him.

And then we will lift sanctions and begin to develop economic relations with him to help him fulfill his desire — to detach from Moscow. An agreement is reached, political prisoners are released, sanctions are lifted. The regime and its new partners receive additional profits; the regime does not detach from Moscow, rather, on the contrary, because Siamese twins cannot detach from each other.

But there are still the people, who increasingly long for freedom. People come out to increasingly massive protests, despite the dissatisfaction expressed non-publicly to their organizers by Western politicians. I know what I'm talking about. The regime becomes more and more frightened, tightens the screws more and more, there are more and more political prisoners, the West introduces sanctions, diplomatic contacts begin, and you already know what happens next. And so it goes in circles.

This is about patterns. But there are also tendencies. With each cycle, more and more protesters die. The number of political prisoners grows exponentially. Prison terms are increasing, and the torture of prisoners is becoming more brutal. It seems that regarding Belarus, Western politicians stubbornly keep stepping on the same rake, only these rakes hit us, and each time more painfully.

The first time, thanks to an agreement between the West and the regime, I was released two months earlier after two years of "chemistry" (open-type correctional facility). No small thing, because I was directly told that for these two months, for "violations," I would be sent from the "chemistry" to a penal colony.

The second time, out of a 6-year sentence, I served less than 5 years. And it was a difficult time, during which I managed to spend time twice in a "covered" (strict regime) prison. But again, agreements, or as they like to say now, "deals," and I was released.

The third time, the sentence was already 14 years, of which I served about six and found myself home in an uncertain legal status after a stroke provoked during imprisonment. Only one thing changed — the position of neighboring European countries. Perhaps, after February 2022, they finally understood the real cost of words about "detaching" from Moscow and took a principled stance.

Now let's return to the demand 'Freedom for political prisoners at any cost!' If there are no questions about the first part of the demand, there are questions about 'any cost.' For 'deal' specialists, price is always about money. And money in our situation means strengthening the repression machine, more political prisoners, and fewer chances for millions of Belarusians to live a life free from the fear of repression in their own normal country.

I deeply regret that people are behind bars for their beliefs, and I sincerely rejoice at their release. What is especially painful for me is that hundreds of women are still imprisoned, for whom it is many times harder to endure than for men. I am grateful for the efforts of everyone who contributes to the release of political prisoners. But this "at any cost" simply means the "rotation" of political prisoners on an ever-larger scale, and in the long term — the transformation of the entire country into one large prison "zone".

Therefore, the plea: 'Release my friend at any cost, because she is a wonderful person and it is very difficult for her there,' should be honestly supplemented with: 'Let them rather imprison another woman whom I don't know instead of her. That way I will be calmer.'

Moreover, different people have ended up in detention. Some went to protest and risked imprisonment consciously, while others ended up behind bars by chance, because the repression machine sweeps broadly. And they react differently to the possibility of becoming an object of a "deal". For some, the main thing is to be free, and if abroad, then even better — 'I've served my time, now let others do theirs.'

But for someone who found meaning in their imprisonment as a continuation of the struggle for the country's freedom, rightly believing that the regime suffers losses due to their imprisonment, to become a means of financing the regime they fought against, and enslaving their country, which they wanted to free, — is an unbearable thought. He has already made his sacrifice, accomplished his feat. But turning into an object of a "deal," being sold like cattle at a market, like a slave at a market, devalues his feat.

Yes, release, but not "at any cost".

Do not devalue the human suffering, resilience, and courage of the best. Do not take away the future from millions," wrote Mikola Statkevich.

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