After five years in prison, the opposition image Tikhanovsky speaks

Sergei Tikhanovsky barely talked for more than five years.

All the time he was arrested in the Belarusian prison in the solo confinement, the brave standing in front of a dictator.

The former opposition blogger is free, and the words come out of him so quickly, fighting his thoughts sometimes fight fighting.

“The hardest thing about speaking was the hardest thing,” SERGEI confidently released his surprise and soon when we met in Vilnius.

“You can’t write or write anything, you can’t talk to anyone and you’re trapped in a cell – that’s the hardest thing – not the reduction of movement.”

SERGEI is now exiled, along with 13 other political prisoners, the main representation of the U.S. after a rare visit to the authoritarian authority of Belarus.

When I wonder about meeting his family, Sergei’s hand rises to his face and crying.

Her daughter was only four when they arrested.

“He doesn’t know me,” he finally managed after a long break. “Then we threw me into your arms and hugged for a long time.”

Sergi’s transformation is moving.

2020. It was launched and bearded in the year. Now the face under his narrow head is gaunt. He says he has lost almost 60kg (132 pounds) in prison, where he spent endless weeks in criminal cells.

“I’m half physically size and weight,” says Sergei. “But my spirit is not broken. Maybe it’s even stronger.”

“Before you listen to the crimes of this regime, but now I have seen the first hand and we have to fight.”

Until last week, Sergei Tikhanovsky was one of the most notable political prisoners in Belarus.

Before the 2020 presidential election, he developed a big YouTube by filming people’s complaints and problems about the complaints and problems.

Then he tried to run his head, shaking a giant shoe and calling Belarusians “to stop the cockroach!”.

“I was using the opportunity to show that Belarus democratically won is impossible,” SERGEE explained. “I wanted to show the elections to be fake, and they arrested me.”

His wife, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, when he attracted horrible crowds. After claiming another horrible victory Lukashenkok, these crowds became massive protest soon became massive arrest.

In prison, Sergei was constantly distributed like other figures like patient treatment – “those who think they are dangerous, or want to destroy it,” as it puts.

“I was in complete insulation for the last two and a half years ago. I didn’t get a single letter in almost three years. For almost three years I didn’t leave my phone call,” he noted.

He did not even see the priest.

“They would say: you will die in prison. We will continue to stretch your time and you are not going out.”

To be important, Sergei was sent to a frequent punished cell – to make a stray of wall or cobweb.

“These cells could be two meters of three meters, including a bathroom including a hole in the floor,” he remembered. “No mattresses, no pages and no pillows”.

He got up an hour earlier, to keep warm with occupation and seat sets, then lay wooden containers until he caught arms and legs, and the exercises had to resume.

To deal with it, he had to empty the brain of all the thoughts of the family and friends.

“You have to put that aside,” he said. “If you think about what they think about and what are going on, you will not survive.”

It was August, when Sergei began thinking he was thinking.

This is when the prosecution began to imprison and began to “seriously recommend” the political detention “as they write to the dictator and apologize” as SERGEI.

Lukashenko was suddenly compassionate for compassionate and several dozen free.

Like Sergei and other large names, Viktor Babaryka and Maria Kolesnikova, were never listed.

But he never entertained the idea of ​​recognizing, as well as return to his children.

“I’m not a crime,” he explains. “So it would be a betrayal of all those who accept me.”

Then the United States entered last week.

When Envoy Keith KeLog traveled to Minsk, to meet American citizens who were prison, Sergei was also formed.

For Lukashenko, a meeting with Kellogg has been a great profit.

Western countries have been ostracized since he removed peaceful protests in 2020.

Invasion of Ukraine invading Russia’s assets still is still more isolated.

“Now Lukashenko could show some partnerships, he began a conversation with us,” Self says that Lukashenko managed to release some prisoners.

“That’s been the price: starting with him. Because no one was implaveling.”

Sergei does not even want to be released for all other political prisoners. There are more than 1,000.

In tears, it describes the meeting “old man” recently, beyond prison, beyond friendship.

“Anything I would give you everything to get out,” says Sergei. “I think we should pay the price. But I don’t want to throw all the stamps.”

Sergi’s wife is the leader of the opposition, he is happy to retreat with him and children. But Svetlan tells me that I was worried about the next US movement.

“We can’t smooth the penalties until repression stops completely,” he argued. “Since 14 people were released, 28 more arrested in Belarus. For Lukashenko is not a change in politics.”

The first week of Sergei freedom has passed into a swirling activity. He has known politicians, talks and has been thankful to Donald Trump. He has also been trapped in time lost with his children, as well as all the news that has lost in isolation.

But what is his ambition? Last time he and Svetlan was a housewife together and was political. So could there be strains?

“I have no claims for his mission,” SERGEI stressed. “I don’t need that. I just need a democratic Belarus.”