“The investigator told this Lukashenka supporter: the main thing is to admit guilt in treason — and we will release you for 'chemistry'”

Vyachaslau Bianko is one of the lesser-known political prisoners. He was arrested in the "radio club case" — people from a community of radio amateurs were accused of allegedly intercepting secret information, specifically, listening in on pilots.

According to the security forces, more than 50 people were part of the "network", but seven were arrested. They were charged with "treason". Bianko is one of these seven people.

His name was mentioned in a propaganda film by Belarusian television, but he was not shown in the video, only his alleged words were quoted.

After this, human rights defenders included Bianko in the list of political prisoners — the circumstances of his persecution are unclear, but the case appears to be politically motivated.

One of the former detainees told "Nasha Niva" that he had crossed paths with Bianko in the pre-trial detention center (SIZA). And this, according to our interlocutor, was one of his most unusual cellmates, with an extraordinary story to boot.

"Slava is a vatnik and a fierce Lukashenka supporter. He said he was one of the bosses at 'Huawei'. He talked all about China, about how cool 'Huawei' is," he begins.

According to Belpol, Vyachaslau Bianko is a Minsk resident. A graduate of BSUIR. For several years, he worked as a software engineer at the 'Dixis Plus' service center, and in 2011, he started working at 'Bel Huawei Technologies'. Married, has two children.

Bianko made more than 240 reports via the 102 line — complaining both about a car driving past in violation of rules and about a Roma woman begging near the market.

"Slava's story is this. He is an ideological 'yabatka' (Lukashenka supporter). He said that for months he went to the KGB as a witness and gave testimony against his colleague, who had been imprisoned in 'Amerikanka' (KGB pre-trial detention center) for a long time. Slava told everything, and then one day he came for interrogation — and they arrested him himself. Because that colleague allegedly wanted to play a trick on him and testified against him in return," his former cellmate continues.

Bianko himself, naturally, insisted that he was innocent, but the process had already begun. As a result, he was charged with "treason".

Vyachaslau Bianko was demanded to admit guilt, which he naturally did not want to do, as treason carries a sentence of 7 to 20 years in a penal colony.

"The investigator offered him: admit your guilt and what we have written for you, and we will then change the article from treason to something light and give you 'chemistry' (restricted freedom). But first, Slava had to incriminate himself — specifically for the propagandists' film — and say that he was a traitor."

Bianko was given time to think, but they started to pressure him. Our interlocutor does not know how the story ended. Vyachaslau was transferred to a 'press-camera' (pressure cell) to motivate him to make a decision more quickly.

Judging by the fact that the video of Bianko's confessions was never shown on television, he did not agree to the deal offered to him by the KGB investigator.

It is unknown whether the trial in the "radio club case" has already taken place, and if so, what punishment the radio amateurs received. Most political cases are currently heard behind closed doors.

According to calculations by the 'Belpol' security forces' association (Belpol) and human rights defenders, the names of at least 10,050 people subjected to politically motivated criminal cases are known. In total, various political repressions (criminal cases, administrative charges, dismissals, searches) have affected hundreds of thousands of Belarusians. Several hundred thousand people have been forced to leave the country.

• 5
• 1
• 10
• 20
• 2
• 1
• 0
• 0