Executed Uladzislau Kavalyou's letters home

Uladzislau Kavalyou asks in a letter to his mother how many days this February has. "It frightens me to think of this - I live in the very center of the capital", Uladzislau writes.

"He is trying to support us, to cheer us up. We can understand what is in his soul, but his letters are indeed optimistic", — Lyubou Kavalyova says.

"Do not worry for me, everything is okay. The conditions are good. I eat, I have clothes, read books. Mom, I love you! Hugs and kisses. Hold on. Don't worry. We'll handle this", - Uladzislau writes.

He asks to send him pictures of his flat and room, as well as pictures of his relatives and friends.

"I have everything I need here, I only miss you. I don't mean I want you to be here, I just want to see that you are with me :)"

After the sentence, Uladzislau sent one short letter home.

"Everything is okay. I feel excellent. I was happy to see you all. Mom, they gave me the parcel. Thanks a lot. Say hello to all the family. Thank you very much for your support, it really helps me".

Lyubou Kavalyova filed complaints and the letters started arriving, all of them with a stamp "checked".

"When I read his letter I have an impression that he is not in the death cell but in some sanatorium. This is why they give these letters to us. He started writing since December 16, after I complained to the public prosecution, to the KGB that I had received nothing from him and that they had tortured him. Constantly in handcuffs, limitations everywhere. The only thing he is allowed to do is to write and to receive letters. I sent him newspapers for February and two cross-word puzzles".

"Mom, what about the meetings? You told me that they allowed three meetings. Shall I wait for you to visit me? I know that I am allowed to receive one parcel in three months - they told me. In the purchase enquiry, I can write the same products as before - apples, tomatoes, cucumbers (if available), sausages, oatmeal cookies, chocolate, marshmallows, cheese, waffles, mineral water, and, of course, tooth paste".

 
As for Kavalyou's letters to his friends, there are also more personal things there. He writes almost nothing about himself, he only asks questions. Euroradio counted 20 question marks in the 4 letters given to us.

"He writes absolutely nothing about himself, — says Kavalyou's friend Syarhej. — He asks about my plans for the future and promises to write about his own plans later, asks us not to worry. He writes that everything is okay, certainly. He understands that the letter will reach the addressee if there is nothing over-the-top and if he writes that he is okay. What can be okay if he is in a solitary cell?"

Relatives and friends also send him letters and postcards regularly, for the New Year's Day and Uladzislau's 26th birthday, which he will celebrate in a solitary cell on January 17.

"I'm okay. I got a great number of postcards from you. Thank you, I was very pleased. As for my postcards, there was an incident - they left them accidentally and I didn't notice that. I sent them only today, so you'll get them soon", — Uladzislau wrote on January 6.

Kavalyou's friend Syarhej thinks that Uladzislau is very discreet in his letters.

"I do realize that a person cannot possibly feel well when he is in a solitary cell and knows that he has been sentenced to death. And he writes that he is holding on, that he is in a good mood and everything is all right, with an accurate handwriting. He tries to be positive. He asks what his friends are doing. He wrote to me like, you know, I cannot tell you a lot about myself".

Uladzislau Kavalyou and his lawyer studied the court's materials every day till January 16, as they wanted to file an observation appeal. Euroradio has found out that they did not have enough time, so the lawyer asked for another several days. There has been no reply so far.

The terrorist act happened on April 11, 2011. 15 people died, more than 300 were injured. On November 30, 2011 the court considered Vitsebsk natives Dzmitry Kanavalau and Uladzislau Kavalyou guilty of organization and conducting the terrorist act and sentenced them to death. Now Uladzislau Kavalyou's lawyer is preparing the appeal. The trial and the sentence caused an ambivalent reaction in the society.