Young people and mothers fight together to end the war on drugs in Belarus – Interview with Piotr Markieł

By Péter Sárosi

Brave young people had enough of harsh drug laws in Belarus and fight back. They found allies in the mothers of drug convicts, who went on hunger strike to demand an end to the war on their sons. Read our interview with a youth activist, Piotr Markiełaŭ!

Drugreporter: How would you describe the illicit drug market in Belarus? What are the most popular substances – and are there new trends in the market?

Piotr Markiełaŭ: Before 2014, when the sadly famous law №6 “On urgent measures to counter illegal drug trafficking” was signed by the president, synthetic cannabinoids, also known as “spice”, were extremely popular and accounted for up to 90% of the market (data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs). Today their popularity has decreased mostly because of the media that covered a number of incidents, when people gouged out their eyes or jumped from the roofs under its influence. Marijuana, hash, amphetamine, and opium subsequently made a comeback. Synthetic stimulants (like alpha-PVP) still remain quite popular and are sold on most of the online markets. Another common phenomena is buying prescribed medicines (like Tramadol), that are sold to feigning patients.

Drug laws are quite draconian in Belarus. Can you explain us what sanctions people face if they are arrested for drug use? Were there any changes in the legislation recently?

Today every third prisoner in Belarus is convicted under article 328 of the criminal code, “Illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues”. It is the most popular reason for going to prison, responsible for approximately 15 thousand people in prisons and penal colonies.