The husband of political prisoner journalist Iryna Slavnikova told “Radio Svaboda” about Iryna and her condition.
We publish the main ones:
“She said that there is very little free time now. She works at a sewing factory, and this is quite a difficult and tense job. She gets tired. She works in two shifts, sometimes even on Saturdays. In addition to this, she is regularly put on duty: sometimes the bunk room (*note, living room in the colony) has to be cleaned, then she is sent to work in the kitchen, and because of this, she lacks free time. She doesn’t even have enough time to write a letter. It happens that he starts a letter on one day, and finishes it on another, apologizing for not being able to finish it right away.”
“Besides the fact that her eyesight has deteriorated, and she had to order new glasses, the previous illness is taking a toll. She needs good therapy. Relatives do what they can, give her medicines. It’s good that the medicines are taken. As for the rest… let’s hope for the best. She has the opportunity to buy groceries in the store, and she receives parcels. Everything is fine with this; she doesn’t complain.”
“Irina mentioned that she tried to do yoga there but it didn’t work out, maybe due to the lack of conditions. Of course, like all prisoners, she dreams of going free earlier. We haven’t yet discussed what will she do in freedom – there haven’t been any meetings. In two years, we’ve only had three video calls, and they were short. The last call lasted only a minute. I know she was very upset about it. But in two years, we have received about 300 letters from her! I know for sure that she dreams of traveling when she is free. She loves to travel. Thanks to her, we have visited many countries, in far corners of the world. Irina is excellent at organizing such trips – she used to work as an accountant, so she can calculate expenses well in advance, and foresee everything. But now her main goal is not even that; it’s to keep her humanity. She dreams of going free as a normal woman, humane, kind. Not to become a different, cruel person after the trials she has endured.”
