Stefanovich: Task of authorities was to reset list of political prisoners to zero

The release of street artists is connected with the general process of releasing the political prisoners.

Valiantsin Stefanovich, a deputy head of Viasna human rights centre, spoke to Radio Svaboda about the release of the people involved in the street artists case.

– Why, in your opinion, weren't the street artists released from custody when other political prisoners were freed? Why were they released only now?

– I think they weren't released with the others because there was a list of 6 persons, on whose release Belarusian human rights defenders insisted. Perhaps, the European Union demand their release, too.

The street artists were unlucky to be taken into custody in the middle of this process. I think the machinery couldn't work so fast. It just needed time. I suppose today's release has two sides. The official one, which is represented by a statement on the website of the Investigation Committee, is that formal grounds allowed changing pretrial restrictions. These grounds are confession, repentance and compensation for the damage. In its latest statement, the Investigation Committee doesn't scare us any more with stirring up hatred and insulting veterans, the things that were in previous statements.

The other side is informal. The release is connected with the general process of releasing the political prisoners. It's obvious that the task of the authorities was to reset the list of political prisoners to zero.

Embassies didn't know about the street artists case until the last moment. They learnt it only from us.

By the way, one of the aims of the Investigation Committee was discredit the guys before the eyes of international organisations and embassies. They were accused of stirring up hatred, the so called hate crime, which is prosecuted all over the world.

Our organisations said from the very beginning that the case was politically motivated. We didn't think it contains elements of hooliganism. As we wrote in our statement, the damage can be compensated in a civil process.

– Will the next step be done? Will the case be closed?

– Several variants are possible. The charges may be changed, the case may be closed. I think the most probable variant is that the case will go to court. But the court won't sentence the guys to real prison terms. In the current conditions, we can hope that the sentence will be non-custodial, otherwise their release from custody makes no sense.

There's an omen: if one goes to a court by oneself, he will leave the court by oneself. If a person is released on his own recognizance until trial, he is unlikely to be taken into custody in the courtroom.