Andrei Haidukou was arrested by KGB agents in Vitsebsk on 8 November 2012.According to the official information of the KGB, allegedly he was arrested during laying a dead drop “with information that may be interesting for foreign intelligence services.” According to the official version, Haidukou is suspected of collaborating with foreign intelligence in a way of transferring of political and economic information about Belarus.It still remains unknown what kind of information was to be shared and who was supposed to be a recipient of this information. Recently, the chairman of the KGB Valery Vakulchyk said that those who defend Haidukou, “will find themselves in an awkward position” after the decision of the court. He was accused of “high treason in the form of intelligence work,” and can face imprisonment from 7 to 15 years.

For more than 7 months he was detained in the KGB prison. During this time, he could not have any visits from relatives. Relatives of the arrested repeatedly complained of problems with the correspondence and the lawyer often was not able to meet Haidukou. Andrei’s parents remain unaware of what is happening to their son: “We still can not understand what is really going with our son.”

The arrest of Andrei Haidukou was linked by many to his opposition views: he was in teams of democratic candidates during the elections, including a team of Andrei Sannikau. He also participated in the “silent protests”.  Immediately before the arrest he was preparing documents for registration of public organization “Union of young intellectuals” in Novapolatsk.

Before the trial, it became known that the process will be closed.  During the investigation, no details were revealed for the public. Therefore, relatives and friends of Andrei Haidukou hoped that the process would be open. The human rights organizations have also made this demand repeatedly.

The first information on the charges against Haidukou only appeared in a letter that the coordinator of the Christian Democracy in Vitsebsk Tatsiana Seviarynets received from him before the trial.All previous letters from Haidukou did not pass censorship.

Haidukou wrote: “I am accused of threatening national security, which can be characterized as an attack on the constitutional order of the Republic of Belarus; imposition on the Republic of Belarus a political course that does not conform to its national interests.The nature of the possible damage can be in the destabilization of the socio-political situation.  I am accused in the fact that I was looking for funding for my work with the foundation of the U.S. Embassy (CIA of the U.S. according to the KGB). “

The letter is quite large, consisting of a few sheets of notebook. There are almost no crossed-out words or expressions. Tatiana Seviarynets is not sure that one can believe everything that is written there. She does not rule out that this letter was written under pressure in order for it to become public.  Meanwhile, behind closed doors in court something completely different may be pronounced.

On 12 June a dozen on people including journalists gathered at the courthouse but no one was allowed to go inside. There were a lot of plain-cloth as well as police van and bus.The policemen stood around the perimeter of the courthouse so that no one could peep in the windows.

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