Mikalai Statkevich: I'm not going anywhere; I continue to work for a free Belarus

24.08.2015 | Society

photo by Henadz Veratsinski especially for EuroBelarus Information Service

Dozens of people have come to meet ex-presidential candidate and already former political prisoner on Saturday evening after the six political prisoners have been released.

On Saturday, august 22, Belarusians have welcomed Mikalai Statkevich, the former political prisoner with flowers and songs. Although he has spent more than 4.5 years in prison, Mikalai is looking good and says he is ready to fight.

The people were chanting "Thank you!" and "Long live Belarus!"

"I want to thank everyone who supported me, you are the pride of Belarus. I have never asked [Lukashenka] for pardon. One should sort out the [current] situation, but it seems that the authorities have run out of money, and they will be imitating democracy,” Belsat quotes politician saying.

"How are you? How do you find yourself?” people kept asking. "I am OK, they [authorities] will see me [complaining] in their dreams!” Statkevich answered and laughed.

"I have always felt supported, there was neither despair nor depression. Over these years prison snitchers have repeatedly asked me whether I will go abroad. I was sick and tired of their questions, and I answered that I do not speak foreign languages and have nothing to do there. So they even brought textbooks so that I could learn languages. But I'm not going anywhere!” Statkevich stated.

"I will continue to work for a free Belarus. I should meet with the leaders of the opposition parties, since the situation is a stalemate and we need to discuss what to do next. In prison, I had a plan how to de-legitimize the election, but they released me and I must think the things over," he said.

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Mikalai Statkevich: I'm not going anywhere; I continue to work for a free Belarus

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