Hanna Shaputska: We need to find out anything about Dashkevich now

Participants of the picket in support of Zmitser Dashkevich, detained on August 2, are standing trials in Horki and Drybin. 

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Human rights defender Barys Bukhel:  “Lukashenka arrived to Horki. When we were driving from Mahileu we saw a policeman at every cross-roads, many police and people in plain clothes. They also cleaned the town. 10 people were transported to Drybin: Yauhen Skrabets from Brest, Sinchyla, Panchyn, Mikalaj Dzemidzenka, Viachaslau Barysau, Raman Vasilieu from Zhodzina, Nasta Palazhanka, Hanna Sharuba, Tatsiana Shaputska and Julia Mikhailava. Maxim Siamionau, Zmitser Shurkhai, Ivan Shyla and Aliaksandr Vialitchanka stayed in Horki. We are waiting here - journalists, Tatsiana Shaputska's parents and husband. Another problem is that there is only one judge working in Drybin. One on vacation, and one working. And the Chair of the court. How are they going to consider the cases of 10 people? The Mayor said they would take them one by one. However, these are not some drunkards so that trials would take 3 minutes or so. Any trial may take longer than expected. I asked him to talk to the judge, to unite all the cases and appoint one judge to all of them. He said he would but it was up to the judge to decide on that. We'll see”.

Euroradio: As for Tatsiana Shaputska - she is a journalist, and representatives of the Belarusian Association of Journalists appealed to the Interior Ministry in this regard, urging to facilitate her release. Is there any information about this?

Bukhel: “Tatsiana's parents are right here, I can pass the phone to her mother”.

Hanna Shaputska: “Unfortunately, I think this led to nothing, as when I approached the policemen yesterday I told them that they had detained a journalist. They answered that if she was a journalist they would release her. However, I think that the fact my daughter is also a "Young Front" member influenced them. She was standing there in close proximity to the streamer, maybe, even holding it. So maybe it's not that important for them whether she is a journalist or not”.

Euroradio: Did you have an opportunity to talk to your daughter, to pass her something, did you address to the police?

Hanna Shaputska: “Yes, I did. However, they took nothing at all in Horki, saying they were not authorized to do that. Here, in Drybin, they took hygienic supplies, clothes, and sweets".

Euroradio: Are there any opportunities to get to the trial?

Hanna Shaputska: “We are now in Drybin, and this is a rather small place, a quiet district center, and the policemen here are more or less peaceful, they are not chasing us away. They say nothing, just answer our questions. As for the trial, they say it will take place after 14.00. We understand that it will be after Lukashenka's departure from Horki, if he is there now. They were expecting him to arrive today, cleaned and painted the town, there were a lot of police, BT, ONT, the whole television”.

Euroradio: What is the police's mood, which sentence are you hoping for?

Hanna Shaputska: “I don't think anything depends on the police's mood, as they asked us how many days of detention this article - mass events - prescribed. They did not want people to be here, especially the girls. We do realize that it's not them who decides, and not these courts in Drybin or Horki - everything is decided in other offices. And they will do what they are ordered to do. The policemen here maybe good but they will follow the order nevertheless”.

Euroradio: Will they have to serve punishment in Drybin if, God saves, they are sentenced to detention?

Hanna Shaputska: “Most likely yes. As far as I understood, this is not the worst place - they said there are beds there, with mattresses and blankets. The only thing is that it is very far from Minsk. Naturally, we don't want things to turn out like this, but what can we do. The most important thing is to reach the goal, to find out anything about Dashkevich, as the boys and girls sacrificed themselves for that”.