PRESS RELEASE LONDON 30th JANUARY 2011: 0100 GMT Distribution Contact: Dr Irina Bogdanova – reikiri@yahoo.co.uk +44 7747 775362 STATEMENT ON TRANSFER TO HOUSE ARREST OF THE BELARUS POLITICAL PRISONERS: IRYNA KHALIP AND VLADIMIR NEKLYAEV BY Irina Bogdanova – sister of Andrey Sannikov Eva Neklyaeva – daughter of Vladimir Neklyaev We are shocked and outraged by what is happening in Belarus now, and in particular by the events on Saturday 29th January, concerning our families in Minsk. In the run up to the Council of Europe Ministers' meeting on 31 January, Mr Lukashenka's regime is again flirting with Europe. We are extremely concerned that his ploy will work once more, and that civilised European Ministers will believe in his good intentions. This is just what has happened previously. The Lukashenko regime keeps arresting people, searching their houses and offices but pays lip service to the demands made by many world leaders merely by changing the way some of the political prisoners are detained. We would like to tell you how this farce has been conducted, based on communications directly with our close family members in Minsk, during the evening, Saturday 29th January.. Iryna KHALIP’s Transfer to House Arrest, statement by Irina Bogdanova, sister in law (sister of Khalip’s husband): Iryna Khalip’s family received no warning that she was going to be brought home to be placed under a supervised house arrest. Nobody had a chance to prepare her son, three year old Daniil for what was going to happen. At that time on the Saturday evening his father’s side of the family was visiting – that is Andrey Sannikov’s mother and his elder son with his family. The whole family is desperately trying to preserve some sort of normality by spending the weekend together and surrounding little Daniil with love and warmth. This family gathering was brutally interrupted by KGB officers who rang the bell and told everybody apart from Iryna’s parents (the official guardians of Daniil) to leave the apartment immediately. Andrey’s mother wasn’t allowed to see her daughter-in-law, Iryna, and she was instructed that she is not allowed to come and see her grandson in his home. She is permitted to meet him only outside the apartment where Iryna is kept under house arrest. No consideration was shown either for the little boy or for the elderly parents. The whole family is in a state of distress. Danik and Iryna, of course, are ecstatic that they are together but immediately they have to learn to live under the constant supervision of two guards who stay in the house. We are talking about a child and a woman who is not a criminal, who has done nothing wrong. From my point of view this a direct violation of human rights and children’s rights. It is simply inhumane. Vladimir NEKLYAEV’s Transfer to House Arrest, statement by Eva Neklyaeva, – his daughter: Last night, 29th January, Belarusian State TV announced that my father would be transferred from prison and become under house arrest. However, the KGB didn't officially inform his wife, nobody told her when her husband would be coming home. My father’s friends gathered at his home to wait. After hours of waiting, KGB men arrived and started sending people away, threatening them that „if you don't leave, we won't bring Neklyaev home”. When the KGB men brought him home, they half dragged him out of a van, trying to get him as fast as possible through the crowd of supporters and journalists. Now for a few hours my father has been at home, with his wife and two security men. I called by telephone and asked if I am allowed to talk to my father, but was denied this. My father was dragged from hospital bed in the night of 19th December, and still requires medical attention. I do not understand why my father was not transferred to a hospital, but has been put under house arrest, where a doctor is not allowed to see him! We make the following plea to the Foreign Ministers and other politicians of Europe:- We beg you not to pay any attention to these 'gestures'. It's only a game Lukashenko has played before. A leopard does not change its spots. The moment the EU approach softens he will have a free hand to do anything he wants. God save Belarus and its people then, … and the rest of Europe. Irina Bogdanova states:- „I know my brother, I know that if he had a voice now he would have asked you not to let people of Belarus down. He would have not chosen this so called freedom for himself over the future and freedom of our country. Don’t let Lukashenka fool you again. Don’t let the people of Belarus suffer for another 5, 10, 15 years. ” We ask, please, do everything in your power to influence the decision of the Council of Europe to impose the strictest sanctions possible to stop this happening in the middle of Europe. Stop the fascism in our country, please. Thank you Irina Bogdanova – sister of Andrey Sannikov Eva Neklyaeva – daughter of Vladimir Neklyaev