Andrej Sannikau sends request for pardon to Lukashenka

The political prisoner's wife Iryna Khalip has held a press-conference in Minsk on Wednesday. She met with her husband the day before in the colony "Vitsba-3". Iryna saw the man through the glass and in the presence of a guard. 

According to Khalip, her husband hinted that "something horrible" had happened to him: "Sannikau looks as if 1o years of Stalin camps passed for the recent three months".

Iryna Khalip: "On November 16, he was transported to the Mahileu prison and, as far as I understood, something horrible had happened to him on November 16-20. I cannot give you any details: "I am not allowed to say this, otherwise the meeting will be terminated and I'll never see you again". However, something very bad had happened - I wrote a note and pressed it to the glass "Did they threat you that something bad might happen to our family?", Andrej nodded positively. Shortly speaking, they made him write this pardon request by threatening and torturing him - on November 20, 2011".

She reminded that a lawyer was not allowed to see Andrej Sannikau since then, no relatives were admitted either.

Iryna recalled the press-conference which the state leader held in December. The journalists asked why he did not release the political prisoners then. She made a sad conclusion from Lukashenka's response - they are not going to release the politician although he did write the pardon request.

Iryna Khalip: "Journalists asked him "Why don't you release the political prisoners? He said "This is because they don't sign the necessary papers!" So - Lukashenka no longer has a task to force them write these pardon requests. Lukashenka has a task not to let them out of there alive. Andrej told his mother "I never hoped to see you again". 

He told me as a goodbye: "My wildest dream is to see you once again at least once!" We were leaving the meeting room and Andrej managed to press a note to the glass. It said "We are speaking about saving life - they can kill me any time". Unfortunately, this is true. Now I understand why they have sent Mikalaj Statkevich to Mahileu prison, far from the people's eyes, why they don't release Zmitser Bandarenka although he is ill - now I understand everything. They simply want to kill them - the authorities don't need these people alive!" 

Besides, Iryna is also a Dec.19 convict - she has a suspended sentence. The policemen come to her place every day in order to make sure she is at home.

Iryna Khalip: "I have curfew restrictions - the police come to my place every day and I don't have a right not to open the door in the evening. When they knock at my door at 11 p.m. and say "Open up, it's police!"", I am obliged to open. You do understand that anyone can come to me with such words".

However, Iryna is not going to run away abroad. She says that her place is where her husband is suffering, however dangerous it may be. 

Andrej Sannikau may be allowed to meet with his family next time only in four months. She hopes that the information that Sannikau had written the pardon request in Lukashenka's name will force the state leader to keep his promise made in December and to release Andrej Sannikau.

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Deputy Editor of the BelaPAN news agency Iryna Leushina asked Alyaksandr Lukashenka a question why he did not sign the decree on pardon of Sannikau, Statkevich and Bandarenka, at a press-conference on December 23.

Lukashenka: ...I can pardon those who ask me to do this. If they don't, let them stay in prison!