Prisoner of Conscience Viktar Ivashkevich Is Free!

17.12.2003.

On 16 December the term of personal restraint of the former editor-in-chief of the “Rabochy” newspaper was over. Viktar Ivashkevich was set free at 7 a.m., though, according to Viktar Ivashkevich, the authorities were to have done it after 4 p.m. Ivashkevich thinks that the personal restraint institution did it earlier in order to prevent the possible mass actions devoted to his release. Now Ivashkevich only has to take his passport in which the local authorities are to liquidate his temporary registration at the city of Baranavichy, where he spent his term. On 17 December he will return to Minsk.

At 12 a.m. on Thursday, 18 December, Viktar Ivashkevich will give a press conference at the office of the PA “Belarusian Association of Journalists” (Freedom Square, 17-304). On the same day he intends to visit the concert hall “Minsk” where Belarusian musicians will present the Christmas project “Sviaty Vechar”. On 20 December Viktar Ivashkevich will taka part in the BPF assembly and in the end of the month will go to Prague to celebrate there the New Year with his family. After the holidays he will begin executing the duties of the secretary of the BPF Board. V. Ivashkevich doesn’t plan to return to the journalist activity soon, as the newspaper “Rabochy” was liquidated, and to establish a new edition one needs money. “Even the registered newspapers (“Den”, for instance), can’t renew their edition. It is impossible for me to plan anything in this direction”, -- said Viktar Ivashkevich in his talk with the press service of the PA “Belarusian Association of Journalists”.