Igor Vladimirovich Ilyash
journalist for Belsat. He worked for the newspaper Belorusy i Rynok, the Belarusian service of Radio Svaboda, and was published in Russian and Ukrainian publications. Together with his wife, journalist Ekaterina Andreyeva (who is currently in prison), he wrote the book Belorussky Donbass, a documentary study about the role of Belarusian citizens in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Igor was detained on July 16 during mass searches of independent journalists in Minsk and other cities of Belarus. Later, it became known that Igor was detained as part of a criminal case for 10 days.
On October 22, 2024, pro-government Telegram channels published Igor's photo. However, no details of what happened were given. The photo shows Ilyash in handcuffs.
A few days before his arrest, Igor commented on the meetings between the leaders of Belarus and Russia, Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin, to Dozhd, noting that "Putin has taken a course toward a sharp escalation - he is leading the country to such a total war." He also said that Lukashenko "most likely does not want to directly participate in the war against Ukraine, but the Kremlin's pressure is becoming stronger." In his opinion, the Kremlin will also demand that Lukashenko recognize the new Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia in the near future.
How to write a letter
✏️ A postcard with words of encouragement (a poem by your favorite author, song lyrics, or a beautiful quote). Trust us, even such simple gestures are very meaningful to a person in jail.
✏️ Your life events. To a person who is in isolation for a long time, any story about your routine endeavors will be a window into normal life. Your day-to-day worries and mundane matters are much more interesting than the daily grind of life behind bars.
✏️ It is important to share news. Mention the most notable and interesting occurrences depending on your pen-pal's interests.
✍️️ Remember that every letter is censored. This means that your letters are read by strangers whose main goal is to limit inmates' access to information or to use it against the prisoners or even you.
So try to avoid:
👉️️ harsh statements regarding ongoing political matters
👉 statements against the authorities and public servants
👉 foul language
👉 discussion of the circumstances of the criminal case