“I am proud of my son. He is a hero "

An interview with the mother of journalist Roman Protasevich. For the sake of his detention in Minsk, the Ryanair plane was urgently planted

In Minsk on May 23, the former editor-in-chief of the NEXTA telegram channel Roman Protasevich was detained . He flew from Athens to Vilnius by plane of Ryanair, but the board urgently sat in Belarus due to a false message about the bomb from the Minsk dispatchers (later the Belarusian authorities announced that the aircraft allegedly threatened to blow the movement of Hamas, and even read out the text of their letters). Where Roman Protasevich is now located is unknown, in Belarus he faces a long prison conclusion. Alexander Sivtsova spoke about the incident of the Medusa Special Corps with the mother of journalist Natalya Protasevich.

- How is your well -being?

- Very bad well -being. Night without sleep, my heart hurts. But I have forgotten about my well -being. All thoughts are only about the son.

- Tell us a little about him.

- I am proud of my son. He is a hero. He is a man who has always been just for justice. A person who has always been for truthful coverage of events in the country.

He is also very responsive. He always supported and supports all novice journalists, always helped. He always protected me. I tried not to upset me and the shore. For example, I only learned from telegram channels that there was surveillance behind him at the airport [in Athens].

Roma is a very strong guy. Honest. I hope that he will withstand the trials through which he has to go through now. Despite the horror that occurs in the country [Belarus], we sacredly believe that justice will triumph.

- How did Nexta appear in the life of the novel?

- I can't say. I just don't know the whole background. I only know that they are in good relations with the [co -founder of Nexta] Stepa Putilo. Stepa supports us.

- Nexta became popular during the events of August 2020. Roman then already lived in Poland?

- Yes, he lived there recently. But then he moved to Lithuania-when [in the fall of 2020] left Nexta.

- How did you feel in the family in his work in Nexta?

- As my mother, I was very worried, always asked to be neat. But he is such a fighter, such a strong personality that he said: “Mom, but who else? You can’t sit-you have to do something in order to change this life, it is lawlessness. ”

He knew his path, knew his goal. Never cowardly, no. He boldly walked and illuminated the truth. Despite the threats that they acted, they acted even to us.

- What are the threats?

- There were threats, surveillance, wiretapping. My friends began to call. They asked where my husband was. Where am I. Then they called them and said: "We know her whereabouts, affect her so that she affects her son."

A KGB employee met with her husband. He persistently offered him to affect his son and almost took him from Poland to the territory of the Czech Republic, and already from there to Belarus.

After that, we realized that we are also unsafe to be in Belarus. We left for Poland. In the fall [2020] they thought that maybe everything was subsided and worth returning. But Roma dissuaded - said that at the customs a car carrier will meet us.

- What did you do in Belarus yourself?

- Initially, she worked at the Military Academy as a teacher of higher mathematics. I worked for 14 years, but then-back in 2010-2011-I had to quit due to the activities of the novel.

- And what happened?

- Then we had a protest movement. Roma was 15 years old. Then there were such flash mobs - clap [as a sign of disagreement with Lukashenko]. They took place in the park. Somehow the police began to disperse the participants. People ran away. The police grabbed the boys who did not participate, but simply sat next to the bench - Roma was there with friends, played the guitar. So Roma first ended up in Avtosak.

He was immediately deprived of the presidential scholarship, which he received as a gifted child. Then they asked from the lyceum where he studied. The Ministry of Education then told us that not a single school would take it - only for home schooling. And how do you represent home schooling when the son is a multiple winner of different Olympiads?

As a result, I had to go to the deputy minister of education for an appointment, so that they would still be given the opportunity to graduate from the 11th grade. He was accepted to school at the place of residence. But only on the condition that I will work there. I quit the military academy, worked at the Romina School, and after he graduated, I returned to the academy. But already in another structure - I can not disclose which one. From there I was fired under the article - supposedly for absenteeism - when the active phase of the opposition’s persecution in August 2020 began.

- How did all these events in 2010–2011 affect the novel?

- They influenced the teenage psyche. After all, he was not accepted into any school. But in the end, at the school at the place of residence there were excellent teachers. They saw what kind of boy it was. They asked him to write a scientific work. Roma wrote and submitted it to the competition, but they did not even want to register it [due to detention in protests]. Even then, all this oppression began. So Roma hit TUT.BY with a freelance journalist.

Roma was also expelled from the University. Because, studying there, he won the Czech Prize in Journalism. He was sent for an internship for nine months in the Czech Republic, and then to America. After that, he was supposed to come to the winter session, but due to the fact that it was not possible to take tickets for the desired plane, he was late for two exams. On the third, the teacher, without listening to him, set two points. Before this session, all the exams were beautiful, he hung on the board of honor. And then he was expelled in half an hour.

- And what did your husband, father of Roman did in Belarus?

- He was a lieutenant colonel. For 29 years he conscientiously gave the army. In 2019, he retired by age. He worked in collection. And on May 4, 2021, Lukashenko’s decree was issued that more than 80 military personnel should be unclenched - as traitors.

- Why did your husband get into this list?

- Because he supported his son. Because he dared to leave the country.

- When did you personally contact Roma for the last time?

- The day before the detention, May 22. These were conversations on completely ordinary topics: “How are you, is everything good? How do you rest? " There were no concerns.

-Did you think that something similar could happen due to the attitude to the novel by the authorities of Belarus?

- No no. We did not even assume. This is the European Union, we felt protection. Roma did not think that this could happen. After all, this is the madness that during flight simply over our state - over Belarus - this is possible. It does not fit in my head.

But I had any forebodings. Maternal heart. I was worried about the flight, about the plane. Yesterday morning I tried to get in touch with him: “Roma, how are you? Why don't you answer? " So far I have not recognized the news on the Internet. I could not even think about this. That such a capture of the aircraft associated with politics is possible.

- How did you survive yesterday?

- All day were in touch on the phone. The [Belarusian] volunteers called. Many publications called. We are now trying to learn more people about what is happening.

Of course, we are very worried. We are worried about this unknown: where is he, what is he, what is happening. As well. We know nothing yet. Even lawyers do not yet know where he is.

-Immediately after the detention in the pro-government telegram channels, they began to publish different conflicting information about the novel. For example, that he allegedly fought in the Donbass. What did he do there?

- He was there like a journalist. This is some kind of stupidity. We have repeatedly asked these questions. He went there as a photographer and journalist-freelancer.

-After leaving Nekhta, the novel is engaged in other opposition telegram channel- “Belarus of the brain” . You said that he always said that there is no need to give up and you need to continue to do something. What does he dream about?

- Probably, we all now have the only dream - this is the living Belarus, living forever. To finally come a bright strip. So that our country will finally become free. This is a dream of both Roma and millions of Belarusians. That incredible number of people who went to rallies in August ... This is simply not to be conveyed in words. These indescribable sensation of the unity of the Belarusian people. [Free Belarus -] This is our common dream.

Talked Alexander Sivtsova