Andrei Klіmau: I dreamt of prison and friends who stayed there last night
A famous political prisoner told ERB about the fear that the news about his release evoked in him, about his friends in prison and his plans for the future.
A political prisoner Andrei Klimau was suddenly released yesterday. He arrived in Minsk this morning and has even managed to have a good sleep in his flat. ERB met the famous politician when he and his wife were getting ready to go shopping for some food.
- Last night was special for you. What did you dream of?
- I dreamt of our prison. I recalled my friends. I felt sorry about leaving them in solitude because their problems would not be solved quickly. To cut the long story short, I did not see myself as a free person. It seemed to me that I was in a dream. I thought that I was free only when I arrived in Minsk. It was so unexpected and fantastic - like a film with Arnold Schwarzenegger “Total Recall”.
- How do you feel?
- Excellent. I’m in a very good mood. I didn’t know there could be pleasant surprises and something good could suddenly occur.
- Were there any signs of your coming release?
- No, nothing. The thing is, documents needed for early release of change of the regime in April were being prepared to be sent to the amnesty commission. We sent enquiries about registration and placement to Minsk. Moreover, I read an article about the President’s speech he had made for BSU students in “Sovetskaya Belorussiya”, he claimed that he had met EU’s engagements and had released political prisoners. So I thought that Kazulin and me were not considered to be political prisoners. So the subject was dismissed. And I had ho illusions about early release.
- How were you released?
- I was drinking tea with my friends at 5 p.m. yesterday. The head of the prison summoned me and told me to pack. I asked him “Why?” and “What for?” and he said I was going to be deported. It was not good news for me. That is why I started packing with disappointment. Two sergeants arrived and started helping me and made me hurry up. When my friends asked them about my mattress they said they would take it away themselves. Then my friends guessed: “you will be released”. They had heard about releases of political prisoners. But it was difficult to believe it. Nevertheless, my friends bade me farewell with those words and I headed for the check-point. The head of the institution Yury Bahdanavich Zbarouski informed me about the humane act of the President according to which my term of imprisonment had been ended.
- You mentioned friends. What was the attitude to you there?
- There are good people. I received moral support even from the administration. The same can be said about some prisoners. I had friends who supported me and helped me when I was having a hard time. I should say that they cared about me and I felt their attention. Of course, the prison was very difficult. There were people who committed grave crimes and had been imprisoned according to serious articles, many people had long terms of imprisonment. They were mostly people from rural districts who had ruined themselves with drink and begun to shun society. They had been in that prison many times. It couldn’t but influence the work of the administration. So I felt all the hardships of a high security institution.
- You must have been engaged in household chores now that you are home. Are you happy about it?
- It is very pleasant to be home and to plunge in this atmosphere, in this bustle, to be able to cook breakfast, to boil eggs, make coffee and take a shower. It is very pleasant. I appreciate it a lot and I should say that freedom is a wonderful thing.
- Have you decided what to do next?
- I haven’t decided it yet because I don’t really feel like a free person. It was so unexpected. It has made a great impression on me. The decision itself is a surprise. Of course I will decide what to do next soon. I will likely be watching the process happening in the relations of the current authorities with the EU and the USA. The very fact that I was engaged in the steps Belarus is taking to fulfill the European Union’s demands to release political prisoners shows that our country is on the edge of dramatic changes. It could be positive changes that will help us prepare for joining the European Union.
- Parliamentary elections will take place in Belarus this year. The opposition prepares a list of democratic candidates. Would you agree to run for the Parliament if you were asked to?
- Never in my life would I run for this Parliament. The thing is I am a deputy of the Supreme Council of the 13th convocation. I know what a referendum is worth. So I consider this Parliament illegal.
Biographic reference:
Andrei Klіmau was born in Minsk on September 17, 1965. He served in the department of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affaires (1983-1991), was a director of a small enterprise (Minsk) and the head of the board of directors of a joint-stock company “Andrei Klimau and Co” (1991 – 1996).
Klimau was one of the five most successful Belarusian businessmen in the middle of the 1990s – he was the owner of a construction company that had orders from the government, of a bank and of a newspaper. He was elected deputy of the Supreme Court of the 13th convocation.
The authorities started persecuting him after he signed the appeal for impeachment of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the autumn of 1996. Parliamentarians sent the appeal to the Constitutional Court. He was arrested on February 11, 1998 after having been accused of a theft and running business without a license. Klimau did not plead guilty. He was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment for grand larceny on April 17, 2000. Klimau was given grant of parole on March 25, 2002.
Having witnessed “the orange revolution” in Ukraine, Klimau announced that the Belarusian revolution would take place at Kastrychnitskaya Square on March 25, 2005. The authorities dispersed the protest action he had organized at Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk on that day.
He was returned guilty of organizing mass actions and violating the civil order on June 10, 2005. The court sentenced him to 18 months of imprisonment. He was released in December 2006.
He was arrested for “public appeals to overthrow the constitutional regime” and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment on April 3, 2007. Married with two children.
Photo by - “Radio Liberty”
A political prisoner Andrei Klimau was suddenly released yesterday. He arrived in Minsk this morning and has even managed to have a good sleep in his flat. ERB met the famous politician when he and his wife were getting ready to go shopping for some food.
- Last night was special for you. What did you dream of?
- I dreamt of our prison. I recalled my friends. I felt sorry about leaving them in solitude because their problems would not be solved quickly. To cut the long story short, I did not see myself as a free person. It seemed to me that I was in a dream. I thought that I was free only when I arrived in Minsk. It was so unexpected and fantastic - like a film with Arnold Schwarzenegger “Total Recall”.
- How do you feel?
- Excellent. I’m in a very good mood. I didn’t know there could be pleasant surprises and something good could suddenly occur.
- Were there any signs of your coming release?
- No, nothing. The thing is, documents needed for early release of change of the regime in April were being prepared to be sent to the amnesty commission. We sent enquiries about registration and placement to Minsk. Moreover, I read an article about the President’s speech he had made for BSU students in “Sovetskaya Belorussiya”, he claimed that he had met EU’s engagements and had released political prisoners. So I thought that Kazulin and me were not considered to be political prisoners. So the subject was dismissed. And I had ho illusions about early release.
- How were you released?
- I was drinking tea with my friends at 5 p.m. yesterday. The head of the prison summoned me and told me to pack. I asked him “Why?” and “What for?” and he said I was going to be deported. It was not good news for me. That is why I started packing with disappointment. Two sergeants arrived and started helping me and made me hurry up. When my friends asked them about my mattress they said they would take it away themselves. Then my friends guessed: “you will be released”. They had heard about releases of political prisoners. But it was difficult to believe it. Nevertheless, my friends bade me farewell with those words and I headed for the check-point. The head of the institution Yury Bahdanavich Zbarouski informed me about the humane act of the President according to which my term of imprisonment had been ended.
- You mentioned friends. What was the attitude to you there?
- There are good people. I received moral support even from the administration. The same can be said about some prisoners. I had friends who supported me and helped me when I was having a hard time. I should say that they cared about me and I felt their attention. Of course, the prison was very difficult. There were people who committed grave crimes and had been imprisoned according to serious articles, many people had long terms of imprisonment. They were mostly people from rural districts who had ruined themselves with drink and begun to shun society. They had been in that prison many times. It couldn’t but influence the work of the administration. So I felt all the hardships of a high security institution.
- You must have been engaged in household chores now that you are home. Are you happy about it?
- It is very pleasant to be home and to plunge in this atmosphere, in this bustle, to be able to cook breakfast, to boil eggs, make coffee and take a shower. It is very pleasant. I appreciate it a lot and I should say that freedom is a wonderful thing.
- Have you decided what to do next?
- I haven’t decided it yet because I don’t really feel like a free person. It was so unexpected. It has made a great impression on me. The decision itself is a surprise. Of course I will decide what to do next soon. I will likely be watching the process happening in the relations of the current authorities with the EU and the USA. The very fact that I was engaged in the steps Belarus is taking to fulfill the European Union’s demands to release political prisoners shows that our country is on the edge of dramatic changes. It could be positive changes that will help us prepare for joining the European Union.
- Parliamentary elections will take place in Belarus this year. The opposition prepares a list of democratic candidates. Would you agree to run for the Parliament if you were asked to?
- Never in my life would I run for this Parliament. The thing is I am a deputy of the Supreme Council of the 13th convocation. I know what a referendum is worth. So I consider this Parliament illegal.
Biographic reference:
Andrei Klіmau was born in Minsk on September 17, 1965. He served in the department of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affaires (1983-1991), was a director of a small enterprise (Minsk) and the head of the board of directors of a joint-stock company “Andrei Klimau and Co” (1991 – 1996).
Klimau was one of the five most successful Belarusian businessmen in the middle of the 1990s – he was the owner of a construction company that had orders from the government, of a bank and of a newspaper. He was elected deputy of the Supreme Court of the 13th convocation.
The authorities started persecuting him after he signed the appeal for impeachment of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka in the autumn of 1996. Parliamentarians sent the appeal to the Constitutional Court. He was arrested on February 11, 1998 after having been accused of a theft and running business without a license. Klimau did not plead guilty. He was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment for grand larceny on April 17, 2000. Klimau was given grant of parole on March 25, 2002.
Having witnessed “the orange revolution” in Ukraine, Klimau announced that the Belarusian revolution would take place at Kastrychnitskaya Square on March 25, 2005. The authorities dispersed the protest action he had organized at Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk on that day.
He was returned guilty of organizing mass actions and violating the civil order on June 10, 2005. The court sentenced him to 18 months of imprisonment. He was released in December 2006.
He was arrested for “public appeals to overthrow the constitutional regime” and sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment on April 3, 2007. Married with two children.
Photo by - “Radio Liberty”
