Are there good people among security forces in prisons and colonies? Losik answers

Illustrative photo. Photo: "Viasna"

Pathological sadists. There are usually only a few such people in an entire penal colony or pre-trial detention center.

Palchyk, the head of the Navapolatsk colony, belonged to this group. He called the solitary confinement unit "my white hell" and "my personal menagerie." He himself wasn't averse to beating someone for ideological reasons or simply for pleasure.

A couple of such vile people were also among the guards. Notably, one of them was also from the Navapolatsk colony, nicknamed "Shpryts" (Syringe) — he just loved to mock and do various nasty things. There was a story about him that he volunteered to disperse protests on his own initiative and in the very first skirmish, a stone hit him in the head. A couple of years ago, he was passing some standards to join the special forces, which is telling. Ordinary guards constantly ridiculed him and considered him simple-minded. Such people are not liked by their own colleagues, because in most cases, they are informers.

I can also count several doctors from Zhodzina and Navapolatsk among such sadists. They even sabotaged medical care, commenting, "I'm not obliged to do anything for extremists and terrorists at all."

The indifferent/opportunistic. This is the absolute majority.

Those who simply come to work because they need to eat, who don't like to work hard, who want to retire early or simply avoid military service.

When the boat swung towards the protesters — they took our side and treated us well. When it became clear that Lukashenka had suppressed everything — they distanced themselves and started to be harsh again. But only harsh when the administration tells them to. They sincerely say that if "I'm told to beat you, I'll beat you." If they're not told — you're not interesting to me, sit quietly and no one will bother you.

Such people don't even follow the news closely; they live afloat, hear something vaguely somewhere — and form an opinion. They also don't like Lukashenka, but they all adore Putin and dream of unification with Russia, because there "police salaries are higher, and pensions, and everything!"

Those who sympathize. They exist, but they are forced to hide their views very strongly. Because informing is very prevalent among the security forces themselves.

Yes, I also encountered situations where someone would come and, where there were no cameras, shake my hand, tell me some news, or even pass some messages to the outside, but all of this was very dangerous. They can help simply by not following an order or by warning you about something.

Such people were in all the pre-trial detention centers where I was held. They warned about who was an informant in the cell, told news, passed something to someone, "forgot" reports, simply provided moral support.

Unfortunately, after the start of the war, such people became even more cautious, and many of them, unable to bear it, resigned and are already in Europe. In their place come those who are ready to curry favor by any means.

If you were to generally compile an image of the average Belarusian prison guard, it would be a person incapable of critical thinking, ready to carry out whatever they are told by order, tired of Lukashenka themselves, adores Putin, shouts "Odesa is ours!", but will never go to fight for it, because here they are certainly not a fool. But no matter what power comes, they will adapt and serve it just the same. And even without remorse.

• 18
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 1
• 4
• 2
• 0