Nov 6, 2020
“People use a bucket as a toilet”.
Lilia Vlasova spoke about the conditions of detention at “Volodarka” and in the KGB pre-trial detention center.
A lawyer and a member of the Coordinating Council Presidium spoke about the conditions of detention at “Volodarka’ (pre-trial detention center # 1) and in “Amerikanka” (KGB detention center) after her release from the pre-trial detention center in a big interview with TUT.BY
- On Volodarka I “lived” in two cells. The first cell for six people was at the prison hospital’s territory. There were sick people, including those with serious mental illnesses. Then I was transferred to another cell with 10 people. I spent three weeks in it until the day of my release. Conditions were harsh there. There were 5 iron bunk beds in a small room, a toilet, and a washbasin with cold water. There was no daylight. In addition to the grill, the windows were clogged with iron blinds, which didn’t allow the sunlight in and obstructed the air access. We woke up at 6 am, from that time until the lights were out at 10pm it was forbidden to lie down, you could only walk or sit on the bed. Due to my health reasons, I was allowed to lie down. There was a TV in the cell, which only broadcasted Belarusian channels and NTV. Ten people in one room slept, ate, washed, cleaned, and went to the bathroom.
Eight out of ten women smoked. Sometimes I felt like I was suffocating. I had to “catch” the air in a small crack in the blinds. I lost my sense of smell. I still don’t feel the smell. When we got to know each other better, the inmates took pity on me and started to smoke less. They couldn’t give up cigarettes because smoking and drinking coffee was the only joy for them. All prisoners were given personal mugs. Some time ago, these mugs were enameled, but the enamel has worn out since. I had a cup with a rusty bottom. I asked to replace it, but I was given another rusty one. They said there was no better one. My husband tried several times to hand a plastic mug over to me — they did not take it. I had no choice. I drank from what I had and tried not to look at the rust.
For the first time in prison, I saw the quintessence of human suffering: tears, anger, hopelessness, despair, remorse, and aggression. The grave condition of some inmates forced us to switch from our own troubles to someone else’s. I tried to distract them with conversations. I always kept medicines at hand, as there were tantrums and even fights (in the first, hospital cell). I didn’t ask why these women were in prison because I saw in them, first of all, miserable people who needed support. Most of the women had already been convicted and were waiting for their cases to be considered by an appellate court or to be sent to a colony in Gomel. For example, a mother of two children caused grievous bodily harm. She was given seven years in prison. She had two children — the eldest was six, the youngest was a year old. Another woman was sentenced to 10 years for drug dealing, and she had a severe form of schizophrenia. Now she is in remission, but it is difficult to imagine what would happen to her in the colony. Another woman was sentenced to 4 years in prison for fraud. She was missing a part of her foot and one breast. She had oncology, she was a 52 year old person with the second degree disability. Another woman, also convicted of fraud, was given 8 years. She said she would return the money to the victims in a year if she remained free. While in a colony, this would not be possible. And the absolutely astonishing case was when a woman gave a birth to a dead child. She was taken to a pre-trial detention center almost from a maternity hospital, accused of violating the regime and non-payment of child support. It is not clear why to give such a severe punishment as imprisonment to a person for a minor crime.
It seems to me that in most cases, the punishment does not correspond to the gravity of the act committed. The Belarusian prison breaks lives — families are destroyed, children are taken away from their parents, people are isolated from society for many years and are unable to return to normal life. That’s why we have so many relapses. Although I have not discussed the current political situation in the country with the inmates, they knew everything and when I was released they farewelled me with the words “Long Live Belarus!”.
I don’t know how I can live with what I saw and experienced in prison. Now I try to support my cellmates and their families financially. As soon as I have extra money, I will buy 1000 mugs and donate them to Volodarka prison. The penitentiary system existing in our country and the criminal procedure legislation require changes.
After a well-known meeting with Lukashenko, Vlasova was left overnight in the KGB pre-trial detention center (known as “Americanka”).
- It’s said that conditions in KGB detention center is better than at “Volodarka”.
- I would not say that. Yes, there was a toilet in the cell where I was kept for 24 hours. Still, it did not work fully. It had to be flushed with a bucket, however, it was considered as better conditions because, according to the stories of the women in the cell (one was in prison for six months, and the other one for nine), most cells did not have a toilet. People used a bucket, which was taken out once a day. The cell was small, three-walled, the air was damp, the passage between the bunks was narrow, one person could hardly fit. So the conditions were equally difficult everywhere, they were overwhelming a person.
