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Statkevich’s nomination as single presidential contender would be great show of solidarity, rights defender says

The nomination of Mikalay Statkevich as opposition forces’ single presidential contender would be a powerful display of solidarity, human rights defender Valyantsin Stefanovich told opposition news website charter97.org.

He acknowledged that it would be difficult for opposition organizations to overcome their differences to throw their weight behind Mr. Statkevich.

Mr. Stefanovich said that the presidential election could be used for a very efficient awareness raising campaign against politically motivated imprisonment if a prisoner of conscience was one of the presidential nominees. People should at least know about this problem and realize that one of the candidates in the previous election is still in prison, he said.

Mr. Stefanovich noted that all election campaigns in Belarus involve the arrest and subsequent jailing or imprisonment of candidates, rank-and-file opposition activists and members of nomination groups. He described such repressive practices as a good indication that Belarus is not a democratic country.

In May 2011, a district judge in Minsk sentenced Mr. Statkevich, currently 58, to six years in a medium-security prison, finding him guilty of organizing "mass disorder" in connection with a protest staged in the Belarusian capital city on the presidential election night of December 19, 2010.

In a trial that took place in Correctional Institution No. 17 in Shklow, Mahilyow region, on January 12, 2012, a judge found Mr. Statkevich guilty of violating prison rules and ordered him placed in a tougher prison for three years.

The charge was brought against Mr. Statkevich because of his missing number tag and failure to mention handkerchiefs among his personal items.

He said recently been transferred back to a medium-security prison.

Mr. Statkevich has repeatedly refused offers of freedom in exchange for asking Mr. Lukashenka for a presidential pardon. // BelaPAN