Wives of democratic activists interrogated by KGB

Wives of democratic activists, Alena Kavalenka, a teacher of chemistry, and Ina Bernikovich, a teacher of biology, have found themselves being closely watched by the KGB. KGB agents interrogated them about an explosion which occurred in Minsk on July 4.

 

Alena Kavalenka, a teacher in the secondary school № 31 in Viciebsk, being a wife of Siarhei Kavalenka, a member of the Conservative-Christian party of the Belarusian Popular Front (CCP BPF), got a call from a KGB officer. The KGB officer did not introduce himself but asked Alena whether her family was in Minsk in the night of July 4. He wondered also whether Alena’s pupils had ever asked her to explain how to make a bomb. At the end of the phone conversation Alena was given to understand that the KGB has been spying upon her husband and his opposition activities particularly.

 

Ina Bernikovich, a teacher in the elementary school in Vierchniaje (Viciebsk region), being married with Yaraslau Bernikovich who is a Vice-chairman of the Belarusian Popular Front branch in his district and an activist of the Movement For Freedom, was called for interrogation to the district KGB office in Hlybokaje (Viciebsk region). A KGB officer questioned Ina about the place where she and her family has been to on the night of the explosion in Minsk. Then, they asked her whether friends of her husband who are campaigning for Yaraslau’s candidature in the elections (Ina is also a member of her husband’s initiative group) have ever showed an interest in acquiring of explosive materials. But Ina Bernikovich was not a single person in the initiative group of Yaraslau Bernikovich who has been interrogated by the KGB in this regard. Aliaksandr Miadzielec, an artist, was also called for the same matters. Many years ago Aliaksandr Miadzielec, drafted into the regular army, served in field engineer corps. Aliaksandr argues that many other men, former field engineers, were called by the KGB as well. All of them gave their saliva samples for DNA analysis and passed through the procedure of fingerprinting.

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