One of Belarus’s leading journalists spent another birthday in jail.
Transitions note: With so much attention devoted to Ukraine these days, the plight of the hundreds of political prisoners in Belarus tends to be overlooked. We have been sharing some of their stories. Today we turn to Marina Zolotova, the former editor-in-chief of Tut.by, until recently the country’s most prominent non-state news outlet. However, in May 2021, as the crackdown against the media and civil society after the disputed 2020 presidential election continued, the authorities effectively shut down the website, arresting over a dozen employees and charging several with tax fraud, an accusation that they have called trumped up to silence them.
On 6 November, Marina celebrated her 45th birthday. This is the second birthday she is spending behind bars. News from her and about her comes rarely and a little bit at a time. The latest is that Marina was added to a list of “terrorists.” It is not known when her trial will take place. Despite this reality, she is more cheerful than many of us. She reads a lot, exercises, and, judging by the words of her former cellmate Inna Shirokaya, resolves conflicts with ease. The prisoners respect her. To mark Marina’s birthday, Tut.by’s People blog has collected excerpts from her recent letters and other news from her.
The Good and the Bad
“Soon I will have been in prison for a year and a half. Time flew by unnoticed,” Marina writes. “Now it’s hard to say what emotions I feel about it all. Injustice, perhaps, is the main thing. Over the past year and a half, there have been very different feelings within me – both negative and positive. The latest positive news is that [Belarusian human rights activist] Ales Bialiatski has received the Nobel Peace Prize. The news gets here very late, but interestingly, a few minutes before I found out everything, I was walking along the corridor of the prison with him. And he, the modest man, didn’t say anything. Just imagine, the man who won the Nobel Peace Prize is sitting a few cells away from you. I think Bialiatski’s Nobel Prize motivates and inspires all political prisoners. That’s exactly what we have at Volodarka [the main prison, located in Minsk].
“My happiest moment in this year and a half was when I was taken to the Investigative Committee and I saw my relatives outside on Volodarka [street]. There are other joyful meetings, say when I see our Mila [Tut.by’s former general director Lyudmila Chekina, also in prison] on the way to a walk. Letters bring a lot of joy. It’s really bad with them now, but I understand that people don’t forget.
“As for the bad news … The verdicts for political activism and the protests of 24 February [the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine]. We have been living in a new reality for several months now. A lot of scenarios scroll through my head, but in the end, something completely different may happen. I have already accepted that all this may take a long time – not even that resigned, but just ready for it.”
About the News and a Possible Amnesty
“You worry more about what’s going on in the country and the world. We watch the news on TV every day,” Marina says. “Once from Belarus, once from Russia. Things that relatives report, things we read in letters. But the information is very scarce. I have to fill in a puzzle with what I have.
“It is interesting that the first rumors about amnesties, including political ones, began in our country long before [late Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir] Makei went to New York to the UN General Assembly …. From the moment when it became clear that Russian troops would be sent to Belarus, it was evident that the decision had been made [not to grant amnesty to political prisoners]. And there is no way back. In this situation, the authorities don’t need any political amnesties.
About the War
“On 24 February, Russia attacked Ukraine. There can be no arguments here,” Marina says. “I understand that people are being led on by propaganda. I know that Belarusians are also being led on. This is only natural given there is so much Russian content on TV. There is one news channel that comes on RTR-Belarus for a couple of hours, which is worth nothing. And all this is pouring into the ears of the Belarusian audience. But sooner or later the myth will be destroyed (it has happened in history before).
“I think Ukraine will win – they are much more motivated and the entire world community helps them. They are defending their homeland, but they may need a lot of time. No one knows how much.” […]
About the People Around Me
“When I was detained, I was the only political prisoner in a four-person cell, then there were two of us in a six-person cell, and four in a 10-person cell,” Marina recalls. “Gradually, the number of political prisoners is growing. The most common article [used to charge people] is No. 342. They are all very different people: artists, programmers, business analysts, manicurists, workers, teachers, doctors. I met, for example, an 18-year-old girl who was 16 ‘at the time of the crime,’ as well as 55-year-old Iryna Koval, who has been in the BPF [opposition Belarusian Popular Front] since 1988.
“I can honestly tell you, they often talk about amnesty in prison – read Solzhenitsyn. It’s simply that everyone hopes to be released as soon as possible. I am also hopeful, but at the same time I understand that the court will most likely find me guilty and give me a hefty sentence. Why should I hope for a miracle?”
“It seems that this flow does not stop, and whole families ‘drop in.’ Husband and wife, mom and daughter, or even more. And all because of what? Because [of tracking people down using] the photos from the march. My God, it’s been so long since August 2020. It’s like a new normality that I don’t want to accept.
“As soon as someone new enters the cell, we try to guess who they are. We try to look at the hair, ask about diseases. People with HIV and hepatitis are often found. There are citizens who need to be forced to wash their clothes, and themselves. They even had to be shown how to do it. Previously, such things were shocking, but now it’s an annoying trifle.”
About Conflicts
“Did I quarrel with someone? I don’t remember that at all. Well, as in ordinary life, disputes arise when going for a smoke (by the way, I do not smoke and defend the rights of non-smokers), or when watching TV,” Marina says. “As a rule, there are no political conflicts here, and almost no other kinds either. Most of the scandals are about ‘thefts’ and Roma. You make a remark in a calm environment. To shouting they will react by starting to shout even louder. Whereas when you are calm and friendly, they are surprised and cool down. It is important to offer some alternative or a ready-made solution. If a person just yells, the main thing is not to rise to it. When they realize that no one is reacting, they cool down.
“It seems that the political prisoners have broken the system. Even the [guards on duty] now greet you, smile at you, and say, ‘Please,’ ‘Come in, please,’ ‘Hands behind your back, please.’ I don’t know how they communicate with the guys, but it’s like that with the girls. And it’s all changing before my eyes. They used to be rougher and stricter. But who came here before? Article 174 (alimony evasion), Article 205 (theft), Article 147 of the Criminal Code (causing grievous bodily harm) were the main clients. And who is it now? Beautiful young girls, and in other cases, intelligent older women.”
About Being Apart From Family
“The conditions of containment are something ‘I can live with.’ Separation from my family is much more difficult. But my family is wonderful. My kids are with my husband, so I’m calm about their situation. I’ve already missed two of my son’s birthdays and two of my daughter’s. I missed Nadine’s graduation and her entering the Academy of Arts. It’s sad, of course, but I know that during this time they, I mean us, have developed stronger bonds and they have become adults and independent. My son grew 10 centimeters, and I missed that. As I always say, to make up for this time stolen from us, we just have to move on.”
About Books
“Books are a very important part of prison life. After the 100th book I stopped counting how many I’d read,” Marina says. “But it’s not even the quantity that matters, but the quality. Lately there has been a lot of ‘heavy artillery’: The Gulag Archipelago, Leningrad Under Siege. I read because it is important to know it all today. Solzhenitsyn wrote by far the most extensive study of Stalinist repression. I used to read a lot of books on the subject, but I haven’t read The Gulag Archipelago in its entirety before. So what? You know, when the girls tell me now about Okrestina [a detention center where many activists are being held], it’s not much different from Solzhenitsyn.” […]
About Exercise
“If I happen to miss a walk, I don’t feel well,” Marina admits. “In the morning I do a little exercise in the cell. On the walk I do another set of exercises, including what I remember from step-aerobics. Then I go for a jog, meaning I run for an hour on the spot (if they do not tell me to go to the cell earlier). That hour of jogging is a kind of meditation. Movement is sorely lacking here. Some people ignore it and don’t go for a walk for a month.
“Another important thing is cold exposure training. It helps keep the body toned and … gets rid of the extra baggage.”
About Tears
“I don’t cry from grief or anger here. But I can easily cry tears of joy or tenderness. Now, if ever I’m in tears, it’s from something touching. From some cool human action.”
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This article originally appeared in Zerkalo, the successor to Tut.by. Reprinted with permission. Translated by Alastair Addison.
