In continuation of the topic of temporary detention isolators of the Vitebsk region, we quote the story of the co-chairman of the newly created BCD party, Pavel Sevyarynets. Pavel, as a former political prisoner, is well acquainted with the penitentiary system of Belarus. This year he was punished with 15 days of arrest after the "March of the non-parasites" in Vorša, which was held on March 12.

After the Vorša imprisonment, Pavel had to visit again "in the day", this time in Minsk. Therefore, it is not surprising that he constantly compares the conditions of detention in the IVS of Vorša and in the detention center in Minsk, which is on Akrestina Street.

Conditions of detention in Vorša? Something better than in Minsk, something worse. Worse than in Minsk – this is what they raise after 6 AM from the bed for the whole time. There is a requirement that a person does not lie, not sit on the bed. And if, for example, at night you were transferred somewhere, or when you do not get enough sleep at night, these are your problems.

At the same time, food in Vorša is better than in Minsk. I would not call it ideal, but at an acceptable level.

From household things? In principle, if you seek your own, you can.

There were windows in the cell. You could get a pin from them. You yourself will not open the window. As for this, through the additional gratings that are between you and the glass, you need to advance the pin – this pin was given. In Minsk, this can not be questioned. If the windows are open, and in the street almost winter – no one cares.

Handle, paper – were in Vorša. Allowed. Unlike in Minsk. Walking – regularly. More precisely, walks regularly for me. Other people were surprised how they deduced: "Wow, we go for a walk!" I say: "So I go every day!" – "Every day? Wow ... "So far, there have been problems – 15 days could be spent without walks.

In general, the attitude to the political there is better than the rest.

Treated more or less. For Vorša I was such a bizarre bird that flew from Minsk, so they were afraid of themselves a little. But there were a couple of moments when they were throwing, from some reason, from the camera to the camera. For example, they organized such a team: a communist, a refugee from the Donbass, into one cell, and me there. Maybe that there were disputes, conflicts. Such a test: feel whether a person will go to a conflict. However, I am also an experienced person – we find a common language, we talk. A couple of days. The chamber is then disassembled.

And the authorities correctly treated. The chief called to himself twice. There were arguments. I told him all the time that I had been illegally sentenced, and that was how I was presented during each inspection: "Illegally convicted Severinets". He was calm. Against me, there were no repressions on this occasion.

I understand that much has changed after the OSCE inspections. And Vorša is the gateway to Belarus, where they constantly receive migrants from Bangladesh, Vietnam and all the rest – so these OSCE and UN inspections brought them up.

So, if to compare with Okrestina, then it is better in Vorša.

We did not receive letters. More precisely, they reached. But they gave me only before the very exit – 15 days there were problems with correspondence.

Another problem that I could not cope with was the radio: completely Russian-speaking, absolutely pop. Turn on at 6 am – and rushed. It goes to the ears. I did not ask to be turned off: "Make you quieter!" – "It's only possible in general for the isolator, we will not do it quietly." You must, if you do not want to, listen to this.

At night, the light was not turned off, but muffled.

The people who were sitting with me were smoking. However, the day of the tenth or eleventh changed the rules of smoking: cigarettes were allowed in the cell, and matches were not, once every two hours they gave a light through the "feeder" – I saw such a strange way for the first time. And in Minsk, for example, they did not give cigarettes to the cell, and it was possible to smoke only during walks. For people it was like torture.

If purely humanly, then I will not say a bad word about Vorša. Some things, really, need to be fixed, But there are not the worst conditions.

Vitebsk Spring