On 19 October ended sentence of Pavel Sieviaryniec. After his release he plans to continue his political activities.
The co-chairman of Belarusian Christian Democracy served the sentence in the village of Kuplin, Pruzhany district, working on a local farm and living in a dormitory-type facility.
On the eve of his release the BAJ journalist talked to Pavel.
According to the politician, serving the sentence was his spiritual journey. -It was a moment when I had more time for meditation, prayer, reading the literature, sports. So thank God for Kuplin. For over two and a half years, I received more than 2,500 letters – a thousand a year. I am also very grateful to the people of Pruzhany, Bereza, Korbin, Brest and Minsk, who helped me all the time – said Sieviaryniec.
In particular, he thanked the members of the BAJ. -If not for your support and attention, my sentence time might look very different- said the politician.
In his words, it was an unprecedented marathon of solidarity, during which he had never felt abandoned. -Sometimes the attention of friends, which I attracted somewhat stressed the administration of the prison. During my jail time I wrote a book The Belarusian Depths. Eighty-five essays, which were published by Nasha Niva. After leaving the correctional facility it will be immediately prepared for printing. I hope to release it in a few months – said Pavel.
When asked if he regretted that he participated in the protests on 19 December and would he do the same again, Sieviaryniec replied that the protest movement should have been different. -We should have united as politicians, and we should have united people on some moral grounds. We should not repeat the same mistakes again. After the 19 December protests started a total collapse of the national movement, most of the active people was imprisoned and lost hope. Politicians should have all seen it coming – said Pavel Sieviaryniec said.
Presidential election campaign is in two years. Pavel Sieviaryniets drew his conclusion from the last presidential campaign. – Firstly, the opposition should be united. Dispersed opposition will win nothing in this country. Secondly, protesting against the current authorities should not be something unto itself, and should be set up to fight for something specific. For decency, for independence. Our struggle should primarily take place not in the economic, political, and or another sphere of life, but on the moral ground. I am sure that today the majority of opposition politicians do understand it- said Pavel..
Pavel Sieviaryniec was arrested at the Independence Square on the night of 19 and 20 December 2010, he spent five months in custody of the KGB detention center. On 16 May 2011 he was sentenced to three years of restriction of liberty for allegedly organizing mass riots.
