Tikhanovsky’s Lawyer: “He wanted people to be able to speak out”

On Sunday, January 12, the documentary film “One of Us” about Siarhei Tsikhanouski will premiere on the channel “Current Time. Doc”.  “A Country to Live in” foundation spoke with lawyer Natalia Matskevich, who served as a consultant and participant in the film. In Belarus, she defended the interests of Siarhei, Viktar Babaryka, and other political prisoners. In the fall of 2021, Natalia was stripped of her legal license. Two years later, she and her family were forced to leave Belarus.

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— The film “One of Us”: Why should Belarusians watch it?

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— The year 2020 and the events that followed are moments that shaped the future history of Belarusians. Political scientists say that a nation was formed during this time. It is important to reflect on this shared memory. Moreover, Siarhei Tsikhanouski is a significant figure. The film aimed to trace his role.

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— What was Tsikhanouski’s role before the 2019–2020 elections, and what is it today?

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— Before I began defending him, I didn’t know Siarhei Tsikhanouski because I wasn’t part of his target audience. When I started studying his videos as part of my legal work to understand his position (many videos were included in the charges), I realized his role. He wanted people to have the opportunity to speak out, openly talk about their real problems, including to the authorities, because they had no other platforms.

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The film highlights that he could reach out to people from small towns, to ordinary people. His role is analyzed in the film by political scientist Artsiom Shraibman. I won’t spoil it; it’s better for viewers to see it themselves.

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— Can you share your experience defending Siarhei Tsikhanouski?

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— He never had the attitude of “it is what it is, and nothing makes sense.” Of course, we weren’t naive and understood that if final charges were brought and the case went to trial, there would be a sentence. But initially, there was hope that he might be released.

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He always advocated for an active position: filing complaints during the investigation. In court, he actively defended himself, gave testimony, and used all the tools of the criminal process: motions, challenges, statements. We behaved as if it were a real trial, and it was important for his position to be recorded in the case. He is a true fighter.

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— Siarhei Tsikhanouski has been out of contact with his family and lawyers for almost two years and receives no parcels and letters. Why does the Lukashenko regime apply such measures against him?

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— There’s no logic here. People often ask me about the regime’s motives, but I don’t know them. I think it’s about increasing the severity of punishment. Who made this decision, I don’t know. But the fact remains that Siarhei Tsikhanouski and other political prisoners are in incommunicado detention (at least eight people), essentially in a situation of enforced disappearance. Perhaps this is because these people are important to Belarusians and demonstrate certain behavioral models. And the authorities don’t want people to act that way.

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The incommunicado regime must end because it violates not only international standards but also Belarus’s internal regulations, such as prison rules.

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It’s hard to understand why people aren’t even allowed to write letters. This is an unprecedented situation. Even in all previous cases involving political prisoners. Under what conditions could this end? I can’t say for sure. I can only draw conclusions from past experience: prisoners were released, or their conditions were eased ahead of elections or international events that were significant for the regime to demonstrate its so-called adequacy.

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— Could incommunicado detention break Siarhei Tsikhanouski?

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— I hope not. Of course, surviving in such conditions is extremely difficult, both morally and physically. If a person has no money in their account, they can’t buy essential items or receive parcels. They lack food and hygiene products, not to mention the worry they may feel for their family. These are very harsh conditions, but as far as I know Siarhei, this won’t break him.

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I tried very hard to understand him as a person and his motives. This was crucial for building the defense strategy. He is a self-made man in every sense. Not everyone remembers, but he was a successful entrepreneur. He built himself and his business.

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In 2019, Siarhei decided to focus on Belarusian issues. As a blogger, he turned out to be very talented because he spoke in a language people understood. When he delved into Belarusian realities, he started with economics but realized that without changing the governance model, no economic problems could be solved. He came to this conclusion on his own.

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Siarhei Tsikhanouski said that people need to be spoken to because he himself was once like them and didn’t understand what the problem was. This ability to get to the root of the issue, understand its essence, quickly draw conclusions, and turn them into action — these are his key qualities.