People are ready to buy necessary medicines for Bandarenka

People came to the hospital No. 5 in Minsk on July 25 to support ex-presidential candidate Andrej Sannikau's ally Zmitser Bandarenka, who is to undergo a surgery there.

Singer Rusia and entrepreneur Andrej Kabanau organized this action of support.

Rusia: “We wanted to support Zmitser so that he knew that we do care. We also wanted to see Zmitser's wife Volha and support her. As it scares me even to imagine that something like this could happen to my family”.

About 20 people came to the hospital at 9 a.m. to support the political prisoner. All of them witnessed his transportation to the medical establishment. 

Andrej Kabanau: “An automobile with blinded windows arrived. A man with a folder with documents went out and headed for the admittance room of the hospital to execute the papers, while the driver and the convoys in camouflage were sitting in the car. The car stood there for 7-10 minutes and left. I don't know why. I wanted to see Zmitser, to wave to him and to say at least a word so that he would hear me. The policemen told his wife that he saw us. I think he was pleased”.

Rusia: “I have a feeling that the police were really scared of this small group of people, which consisted mostly of women. They were frightened of something. As Volha explained to us, they transported Zmitser here, he saw us, and then they drove him back, so that, God save, nothing happened”.

Let us remind you, Zmitser Bandarenka is expected to undergo a surgery on July 26. He has 4 spine ruptures and impaction of 3 spine nerves. In June, Zmitser's health condition grew worse. He was sent to the Republican prison hospital.

Besides, the people who came to the hospital had been prepared: they had passports, toothbrushes and other things which might be necessary in the Akrestsina Street detention center, with them. Luckily, no one was detained at the action this time.

At the same time, famous Belarusian musician Pavel Arakelian had an idea how else to support political prisoners, right under the hospital windows.

Rusia: “Pavel Arakelian has invented a new civil initiative: to appeal to the whole mankind, to musicians, poets, literature figures on behalf of the culture activists so that people would know what is happening to Zmitser, and demand that the state should take normal care of him”.

It is undecided yet whether people will come to the hospital tomorrow, on the surgery day. According to Rusia, they will consult with Zmitser's wife Volha Bandarenka in this regard. As moral support is good, but they do not want to cause any harm. Besides, these people also have other plans for tomorrow.

Andrej Kabanau: “We plan to come to the Department for Serving Punishments at Aranskaya Street, 1 to pass an appeal about Likhavid. As now the police are doing their best to make his confinement regime stricter. They want to isolate him from other prisoners as he is in the center of attention. The isolation will happen like this: first disciplinary cells, then deprivation form an opportunity to buy something in the prison shop, deprivation from both short-term and long-term meetings. All this is aimed at transferring him to cell-type premises in the end”.

As for today's action under the hospital windows, it might have an unexpected continuation: Rusia and Andrej Kabanau managed to obtain telephone numbers of the doctors who will perform the surgery. They will meet them today in order to discuss what kind of assistance they need. Maybe - medicines, maybe - consultations with other specialists.

According to Rusia, the initiative tandem of herself and Kabanau does not mean that a new civil initiative has just been created in Belarus. It only means that people who care about somebody else's grief got together.

Rusia: “I don't know whether something was born here - I am just urging people who care to do something. If you have time and possibilities, we need to unite, we need to support people. As this people's solidarity is sometimes the most important thing for a person in need. If you have an opportunity to disseminate information - please do. For example, you can approach old ladies in parks and show them videos of detentions at the silent actions on your laptops”.

Besides, Andrej Kabanau already has experience of such "education". This may become the next action for this group of people who care.

Photo: Zmicier Lukashuk, Andrej Kabanau