Khalip: The situation is crucial. Sannikau and Dashkevich may not come out

Andrej Sannikau urged to save Zmitser Dashkevich, through his lawyer. In the ex-presidential candidate's opinion, Dashkevich may not survive in the colony. Sannikau's wife Iryna Khalip has informed this at a press-conference in Minsk:

"They told me where my husband was only after I visited the Department on serving punishments, — says Iryna Khalip. — The situation is such that I can say for sure that his life is under a serious threat. There is also a threat to Dashkevich's life. The information which Andrej's lawyer obtained from him in the Mahiliou detention center, his message is as follows: "Save Dashkevich by any means, including filing a request for pardon by the whole population, as he will not survive otherwise".

The administration of the Navapolatsk colony were very surprised with Sannikau's transfer as no one informed them about this until the very last moment, says Khalip. After that, she was told that Sannikau would be transported to the colony in Babruisk, but he failed to get there. He was found in the pre-trial detention center in Mahiliou.

"On September 20, they took him to the pre-trial detention center in Vitsebsk. They put him into a cell with three people in it, one of them was Dashkevich. I have a feeling that they put them into the same cell on purpose, to give them an opportunity to exchange certain information", — says Khalip.

Prisoners Davydovich and Hryhoryeu were in the same cell. The latter told that two plain-clothed agents approached him during the prison transportation.

"He started telling Dashkevich that he heard accidentally that Dashkevich would have problems in the colony in Hlybokae, where he was supposed to be sent, and that he would probably be killed. Dashkevich said it was a provocation and asked to transfer him to another cell", — adds Khalip.

Dashkevich  stopped hunger strike but he is deprived from the right to receive parcels. Sannikau gave him his parcels, says Iryna Khalip. He said that Zmitser was in a horrible condition.

Hryhoryeu was sent via the prison transportation to Mahiliou together with Sannikau. He says that he was warned about the ex-candidate.

"They warned him that he needed to be careful in the same cell with Sannikau, as there might be serious provocations against him and he was most likely to be seriously injured or killed. After this, two cell-mates took these words as a signal. They started saying: "Yes, Andrej Alehavich, you will not get to Babruisk alive. We are not going to kill you, but you may be transferred to another cell where you will be brutally beaten or killed. Some big guy may be sent to Germany as an ambassador for this, as it happens. You may also be put into a cell with people with low social status". Andrej did not sleep for several days as he was afraid of the attacks", — says Iryna Khalip.

After Sannikau's lawyer had visited him and filed a claim about a threat to the life and health, Sannikau was transferred to a solitary cell.

"Thus, both the Department on serving punishments and the detention center's administration confirmed that there was indeed such a threat", — adds the political prisoner's wife.

Human rights defender Alena Tankachova reminded the department's administration that they would bear responsibility for everything that happened.

"The administration bears responsibility for everything that happens inside a closed penitentiary institution, dependless on who does it and how they press the prisoners".

Iryna Khalip has told that no one asked her husband to write a request for pardon and urged the force structures to stop pressure on him.

"I am appealing to them -  do not commit crimes. Do not take responsibility for murders, severe injuries. Stop this hell. As you are the ones who will answer for this. The KGB will get away with it, they always do. They will say - we have nothing to do with that, it's all the Department's fault. So come round, stop pressure on my husband! Take him back to the place where he served punishment".

Alena Tankachova, in her turn, urged the diplomats who were present at the conference to try to achieve a meeting with Zmitser Dashkevich and to find out about his condition in the nearest days.