Lech Walesa wrote letter to Sannikov’s prison-keeper

Nobel Peace prize laureate Lech Walesa has addressed the head of the remand prison #4 where Andrei Sannikov is kept at the moment.

“I am following the developments of the situation with Andrei Sannikov carefully, and I urge you to refrain from any actions or lack of action which could do harm to health and psychological state of Sannikov,” the founder of “Solidarity” and the first head of the post-Communist Poland writes in his address.

“To the head of remand prison #4

212011, Mahilyou, Krupskoj 99A

As far as I know, the candidate for presidency in Belarus, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Andrei Sannikov is kept in the remand prison #4 in Mahilyou. As long as it is a closed institution, and as alarming reports are received from the family and lawyers of Sannikov, I have concerns about absence of communication with him, and absence of public control over the incarceration conditions. I also suspect that tortures, cruel, inhuman and humiliating treatment are applied against Sannikov.

According to conclusion of Belarusian and international human rights organizations, Andrei Sannikov was recognized as a political prisoner, and Amnesty International, a world-renowned organization, recognized him prisoner of conscience.

I am closely following the developments in the situation of Andrei Sannikov, and I am urging you to refrain from any actions or lack of action which could do harm to health and psychological state of Sannikov.

I would like to remind that after collapse of totalitarian regimes, not only persons behind the criminal orders, but also perpetrators of criminal orders bear responsibility for their actions. I really hope that you would not allow involving yourself in acts of atrocity, by which the regime of the last dictator of Europe, Lukashenka, is known.

Gdansk, September 28, 2011

Lech Walesa”