Paviel Sieviaryniets: They actually prolong the term of personal restraint to me”

10.08.2005.

According to RFE/RL

Paviel Siveiaryniets, who has been sentenced to 2 years of personal restraint, is still kept under police surveillance in Vitsiebsk, without the passport which was taken away from him on 27 July. Twice a day he has to phone to the criminal-executive commission to ask about his future. On 9 August he also had a telephone talk. He was told to phone on Friday.

Mr. Sieviaryniets comments:
-- According to the court verdict, I am to spend two years an open penitentiary institution. In fact, I have spent several months already waiting for execution of the verdict. I have given written undertaking not to leave the city and live without passport for several weeks. Everyday I guess to which prison I will be sent. I understand the sense of it all: it is psychological pressure. A man must feel the total power of the state machine, which can do anything. I treat it calmly, but the fact remains – actually, it is prolongation of my term.

The officials of Vitsiebsk Piershamaiski borough criminal executive inspection said the reason for the delay is that the order for Sievieryniets must come from Minsk and 15 other persons are also waiting for being sent to prisons. Paviel Sievieryniets says this delay may also have political reasons:
-- Possibly, the authorities think that in the case they win the presidential election in 2006, in 2007 they will have the election to the local deputy soviets and in 2008 – Parliamentary election. A person whose term ends in 2007 will receive only in 2008. So, neither I nor Statkievich would run at the elections.

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