10 PORTRAITS OF YOUNG POLITICAL PRISONERS

Ceasing repressions against political prisoners in Belarus is still on top of the agenda. Andrei Sannikau was released on April 14, 2012, and Andrei Bandarenka, head of Sannikau’s electoral campaign, was set free on April 15, 2012. 13 political prisoners are still in jail – Mikalai Autukhovich (private entrepreneur), Mikalai Statkevich (ex-candidate to the presidency), Ales Bialiatski (human rights defender)among them.
 
Several dozens of those political prisoners who were released earlier remain un-rehabilitated and deprived of their basic rights.
 

Many of men aged 18 to 33 who participated in Ploshcha (Square) events on December 19, 2010,  experienced tortures, degrading treatment in Belarusian prisons and are currently deprived of their right to work and education.
 
Some of these men, such as Paval Vinahradau and Uladz Yaromenak, are under militia’s heavy supervision. Aliaksandar Mauchanau has been sentenced to imprisonment again. Names of other ex-political prisoners – Siarhei Kazakou, Andrei Pratasenia, Dzmitry Bulanau, Aleh Hnedchyk, Dzmitry Daronin, Vital Matsukevich, Uladzimir Loban – are not to be often seen in the media.
 
On April 17, 2012, Committee “Salidarnasc” presented a video project “Worthy and Brave Children of Belarus” where stories of these young men are told.   
 
The idea to make video portraits of young political prisoners in Belarus came up when the young men were still in prison. It was planned to make short films about their mothers, relatives and to have them telling their story “sight unseen”. Photos and chronicles were to serve the main background of the movies.
 
However, when in August 2011 a wave of releasing political prisoners began, characters of the movies were there to tell their story themselves and to share their experience. Most of the young men were not members of political parties and came to the Square on December 19, 2010, to show their protest against falsification of elections and to defend their civil rights.  
 
Authors of the movies, independent directors Volha Mikalaichyk and Siarhei Isakau, managed to “get the characters talking” and revealed their inner world. Makers of the movie showed that the young men got out of prison being integrally brave and unbroken. They managed to save their civic potential.   
 
10 video portraits show representatives of the young generation of Belarusians who thoroughly think of their country’s future and about their place in life.   
 
- We find it crucial to attract public attention to all of these young and brave Belarusians, Ina Kuley, Chairperson of “Salidarnasc”, said during the presentation of videos.
 
It is planned to show the movies about young Belarusian political prisoners during an international human rights movie festival in Kyrgyzstan.
  
All videos from the cycle “Worthy and Brave Children of Belarus” may be watched at www.salidarnasc.org and on YouTube channel of CommitteeSalidarnasc.