Vatslau Areshka, an activist of REP (Belarusian Radio and Electronics Workers’ Union), is among those who cause their relatives the greatest concern, reports "Savaboda".
Vatslau Areshka is one of the oldest political prisoners in Belarus; next January he will turn 70. He has been in jail since April 2022. On that day, the leaders and the more prominent activists of Belarusian independent unions were arrested, all at once, including the political scientist Vatslau Areshka. Almost a year later, in January 2023, Vatslau Areshka was sentenced to 8 years in high security prison. The five articles of the Criminal code under which he was convicted included Article 361-1 on the creation of an “extremist entity” and participation therein. The Belarusian authorities declared the REP Union, along with other independent trade unions, such an entity.
Initially, Vatslau Areshka was sent to serve his term in Prison No. 17 in the town of Shklow, and in December 2023 he was transferred to the penitentiary IK-22, “Wolves’ Holes”, in the vicinity of Ivantsevichi.
It is known that Vatslau Areshka does not work in the penitentiary; he often has to seek medical help from physicians there. The activist’s relative residing abroad spoke of his condition:
"Unfortunately, I can’t give you any good news as far as his health is concerned. He’s got the detachment of the retina, the cataract, and the glaucoma. These days, other prisoners help him write his letters, so they come in somebody else’s handwriting as he is unable to keep the lines straight and separate. Letters do come, and there are phone calls once every few weeks. What does he do with his time? He’s got a magnifying glass and tries to use it to read the books he borrows from the library."
At the end of August, following an amnesty, Vasyl Beresneu, a leader of the REP Union, was released. Vasyl is 74 and, like Vatslau Areshka, has serious health problems.
Vatslau Areshka’s relatives say that they have expected to see his name on the two amnesty lists that have been published since his imprisonment.
Source: svaboda
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