Andrzej Poczobut prohibited to speak Polish with his father

Stanislaw Poczobut visited his son on June 9. They spoke Polish as they normally do. The guard reprimanded them for this but they did not switch the language of their conversation. 

Then the prison guards stopped the meeting and asked Stanislaw Poczobut to leave.

Stanislaw Poczobut: "Andrej will survive all this... Pride is what important for us”.

Euroradio has talked to Stanislaw Poczobut. 

Stanislaw Poczobut: “Before the meeting, they had warned me that I was supposed to speak any of state languages of Belarus - Belarusian or Russian. I speak Polish at home with my children and grandchildren. A week ago I met with Andrzej and we spoke Polish. They did not interrupt us or say anything, but today, when I just entered the prison corridor, they told me I should speak only a state language as I was a citizen of the Republic of Belarus - they warned me. When I met with Andrzej I asked him whether he knew I had no right to speak Polish. He said that, as far as he knew from the Belarusian code, we have a right to speak our native language. They reprimanded us once, this concerned Andrzej more, as they did not pay much attention to me. Then they said again that he had no right to speak Polish. In twenty minutes they told us the conversation was over, took Andrzej away and let me go”.

Zmitser Lukashuk:What are your impressions? How does your son look like, how does he feel?

Stanislaw Poczobut: “Andrzej will survive all this, whatever his destiny will be. I know his character since his childhood; I think that everything will be all right. It would have been worse if there was something which happened after the election, when some activists denied their own words their participation. Pride is what important for us”.

Lukashuk: Does Andrzej know about the support from his colleagues from Belarus and Poland?

Stanislaw Poczobut: “He does. However, it is outrageous that he wasn't allowed to meet with a priest until now”.

Lukashuk: Does Andrzej admit that he has insulted the state leader?

Stanislaw Poczobut: “He does not admit this. How can he admit this when the President himself humiliates his employees the way he does?! How can a correspondent insult a person who is holding the whole state in his hands?”.