Volha Bandarenka: It seems to me that Zmitser feels better!

Euroradio: Initially, it was planned that Zmitser would be taken to the prison hospital right after the surgery. How did you manage to avoid this?

Volha Bandarenka: “The doctors said to both Zmitser and I that he would be sent back on Friday. However, on July 28 I met with a doctor of the Valadarski Street prison hospital. I had several questions to her, and the first one was when they were going to take my husband back. She answered - we are not taking anyone back, he will be transferred to us as soon as they discharge him from hospital”.

Euroradio: How did you manage to obtain a meeting with your husband in the hospital?

Volha Bandarenka: “When I was trying to find an opportunity to see him, it turned out that we haven't studied the appeal's materials yet, thus, Zmitser is under jurisdiction of Minsk city court. I went there and received a permit for a meeting. Then I talked to the administration about this and this was how I saw Zmitser after the surgery”.

Euroradio: Thus, it is unclear why the court system helped you in such a complicated situation?

Volha Bandarenka: “In fact, according to the law, I have a right for a meeting until he studies the appeal's materials. Another point is that it would have been a quite different format in the prison conditions. It's very good that they allowed this meeting to happen. I think this is connected with the informational wave which started on Monday and even earlier, when Zmitser's problems had become more serious. The whole world defended him and I am very grateful for that”.

Euroradio: Please tell us about Zmitser's physical condition after the surgery.

Volha Bandarenka: “It is difficult to say something as it was just the second day after the surgery. However, when he saw me he was so happy that his health surely got better at least at that moment. Emotionally, he looked wonderful. He told me that the pain in his left leg, which hurt but he could control it, faded away right after the surgery. He could not feel his right leg in the beginning and was really frightened by this, but subsequently it regained sensitiveness and it seemed to him that it started moving better. The doctor says it could not get back to proper functioning so quickly so it should be the psychological factor. Nevertheless, he is in a very good emotional condition. I don't know whether his health grew this better for two days, as, apart from the rupture that bothered him, his nerves had been pressed for a long time and they could not revive this fast. Also, surgical stitches still hurt, and the wound itself... However, psychologically, I think he feels better”.

Euroradio:  What is the doctors' prognosis? As there was information that he even might lose his right leg...

Volha Bandarenka: “Everything depends on rehabilitation period now. I have not talked to the doctor much so far but I am going to do it every day. He said that if the patient is not provided a proper rehabilitation period, so that his spine got back to normal condition, he will have chronicle pains and problems with his leg as before the surgery.”

Let us remind you, MEP Jacek Protasiewicz claimed on July 28 that he would "talk to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Poland, which now presides the Council of the EU, so that special attention is paid to Bandarenka issue, so that the situation with this prisoner influenced the decision of possible expanding of economic sanctions" with regard to Belarus.