Yellow Tags

About political prisoners in Belarus.

Two years ago, my "colonial" epic began: as suddenly as I was captured/accused/convicted, I was just as suddenly released halfway through my sentence. True, in the best traditions of the "cold war" - with forced expulsion from the state. Not only without an elementary certificate of release, but with seizure of official verdicts, answers to unsatisfied appeals, petitions and applications - everything where those involved in the repressive machine had made their mark.

Factory of "extremists"

Dominant "extremists" in the Belarusian penitentiary classification appeared en masse after the turbulent 2020, when the attempt to challenge the results of the presidential election "under Lukashenko" led to a total cleanup of the entire civil society. Hundreds of organizations were liquidated, thousands of people were put behind bars.

It's easy to be outlawed: for example, by donating to the victims, subscribing to an undesirable Telegram channel, leaving a comment under a post (sometimes just a like is enough).

Even human rights activists find it difficult to say how many people went through the "meat grinder" of the vindictive system during the five-year cycle between election campaigns. However, taking into account administrative penalties - hundreds of thousands of victims. At least as many did not try their fate and left their homeland in a hurry, actually saying goodbye to all their acquired property. Let me remind you that we are not talking about military action and inevitable refugeeism, but a conscious mass exodus from a peaceful country. Because there is simply no reason for complacency: instead of every hostage who has served his time or "sold" for some behind-the-scenes concessions to the West, a new hostage is seized. And the fact that the "political" are guaranteed unforgettable impressions in the cells is tested on their own skin.

Profuchet No. 10

Despite the mantra of the court propaganda and Lukashenko himself - that there are no political prisoners in Belarus, because such a concept is not specified in the Constitution or in the fundamental laws - in practice everything looks absolutely different. Not only that, a special preventive register №10 - "persons prone to extremist and other destructive activities" - has been established for neutralized "enemies of the state. Under this category fall all those detained and convicted under articles of protest orientation - from participation in unauthorized actions and insulting representatives of the authorities to inciting social hatred and financing terrorist activities.

Bearers of such a profiling account are given a yellow tag (historical parallels are suggested beyond will) with the whole list of anti-bonuses that spoil life. Among the most insignificant of these is the compulsory presence in the first rows of the column during any organized movement and a place on the upper tier (second or third) opposite the doors of the cell and living section.

In essence, segregation is legalized, when quite a certain group of "disloyal citizens" is restricted in literally everything. And these are not murderers, rapists, pedophiles, but mostly intelligent, educated, decent people. Yellow-barred "dozens". It is noteworthy that at each change of location, the institution's commission meets again, which voices a unanimous opinion to leave the figure under increased control.

Total "degreasing"

Virtually every "political" will eventually be "degreased". Once in the penal colony, he or she will be placed among the "persistent violators of the internal regulations" without option. This is preceded by a scattering of various penalties: he did not say hello, did not shave, did not clean his shoes. Or did not make a report to an employee of the administration, used slang vocabulary, expressed foul language. Each act has a continuation with a call on the carpet to the head of the institution and ends with punishment, mostly through deprivation of everything and anything: a short (three-hour) visit, a long meeting (up to three days), as well as transfers, parcels and other "goodies". All this concerns close relatives, as with friends, acquaintances, sympathizers any intercourse is impossible in principle.

The tenth profounder is forbidden to visit public places - library, sports campus, church (in zones of exclusive orthodoxy). They cannot participate in amateur activities, editorial boards of "battle sheets", team and individual tournaments. For them there is an additional evening verification, when others have personal time. And in temporary detention centers, 10-12 political prisoners are crammed into a single 5-meter-long cell and twice a night are brought up for roll call.

If the non-counting holders of white tags can diversify the meager food ration in the zonov's village shop (once every 10 days), spending 5-10 basic units (about 70-150 dollars monthly), depending on the conditions of detention, the political situation is much more prosaic: 25 dollars for everything.

And even the possibility of calls with adjustments for status: 5 minutes via video link instead of the 10 minutes allowed to "normal detainees". However, even this would be a wonderful gift, if it were not for a nuance: "extremists" spend a significant part of their sentence in punitive isolation cells, and there is no opportunity to even write, let alone use the phone. And missed sessions are not compensated. In addition, mail is actively censored. At first they can still bring acts of seizure of letters for allegedly trying to give away unexplainable secrets, but then the letters simply disappear. During "shmons" they confiscate personal records, destroy correspondence with loved ones, take away for inspection and do not return diaries.

The stage in the "bracelets"

The first inconveniences for "yellow-bordered" begin immediately after being placed on the professional account in the detention center. The administration is trying to turn the rest of the contingent against the "political", planting provocateurs who are supposed to inform about the mood in the "destructive cells". Every hour the door "trough" is opened and you have to make a report about your "extremist affiliation". Political prisoners are taken to the trials by a separate escort in "gazelle-trucks" and handcuffed in the back. If the curators from the State Security Committee are involved, a bag on the head is also added - I had to endure several such hours-long intercity journeys myself.

Etapism between institutions is also in "bracelets". Killers and maniacs are not concerned. It's obvious: they are not a danger to the authorities, they are in jail for "domestic conflicts". The main inconvenience is caused by "keshers" with the good gained during months or even years of investigation. And it's everyone's personal problem, how to swing from a detention center to a special "stolypin" car with shackled hands.

But even in the "extremist hierarchy" there are those who are not to be envied - those who are on the KGB terrorist list. Sometimes parents "hitch a ride" after their children for a money transfer for an otovarka or a comment to journalists. It is regarded as "financing of terrorism" and "promotion of extremism" respectively.

The trap on the "evil-doer"

After arrival in the colony, each "dozen" is permanently pulled for conversations with staff workers - a special officer, a regime officer, and a psychologist who has joined these ranks. In the strict regime, where, it must be admitted, frankness is much easier, they make it clear in plain text: even if there is no specific instruction from above, you must go to the punishment cell for reporting. Usually it starts with 15 days on wooden bunks, but any dissatisfaction risks making the term dimensionless. Therefore, hundreds of days without basic amenities and communication with home - the practice is habitual.

The real trap for the "extremist" - Article 411, which can make any political prisoner for life. Many people joke that instead of the expiration date on the yellow tag it is more reasonable to put an infinity sign. A set of placement in a punitive isolation cell and subsequent transfer to a cell-type room (a variation of the punishment cell system with different forms of "comfort") gives the management grounds to request a criminal case for "malicious disobedience to the requirements of the administration of the correctional facility. This automatically means criminal recidivism and transfer after the trial from the general regime to the strict regime.

Some activists, having once gone on a "tour" of colonies and adding a year and a half in each place, have already collected five years to the basic sentence. Such "vindictive" people are not even transferred to the detachment, being quickly promoted for "more" and sent on.

Almost half a year I had to spend in solitary confinement: 7-8 square meters for survival. For the appearance of justice, 22 (!) "witnesses" in shoulder straps were summoned to the trial, who unanimously claimed that "extremist" Karnei had not taken the path of correction and continued to engage in "destructive activities". By the way, after the announcement of the date of the presidential election-2025, he faced excessive zeal of ideologists who decided that with a portion of the obligatory morning and evening anthem, prisoners must put their hand to their heart. Otherwise - a protocol for insubordination. It did not go further than threats, but the fact itself...

Exchange Fund

At last, "political" is a powerful fuel to prolong the career of Lukashenko and his entourage. As long as there will be goods for sale in the storerooms, they can continue to play "independent independent leader". However, no matter how much one does not indulge in self-delusion, saying that sanctions only make stronger, one has to resort to barter more and more often: "extremists" in exchange for weakening of pressure. By and large, production is practically waste-free: the vacancies that arise are instantly filled by the new exchange fund. And one does not need to be a professional revolutionary, as before, to put on the yellow tag of the 10th professional register: businessmen, scientists, priests, journalists, artists, artists, former "sovereigns" - no one is protected by the regalia of past merits.

Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski, politician Nikolai Statkevich, financier Viktor Babariko, human rights activist Nasta Loika, lawyer Maksim Znak, musician Maria Kolesnikova, journalists Igor Losik, Andrey Pochobut, Katerina Andreeva and dozens of other colleagues - thousands of names that have their own price tag. After all, for the expelled blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky official Minsk eventually bargained for something, but the artist Ales Pushkin or activist Vitold Ashurak did not even live to see the start of the auction. And if the world has accepted the rules of the game in this scenario, we will have to splurge further. And it would not hurt to hurry: for many who remain in prison, the announced terms are akin to a life sentence.

Igor Karney, Radio Liberty

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