The trial started today at 10.00 and lasted till 17.30, the interrogation of Ales by both sides is finished and tomorrow they will interrogate the witnesses.

Ales is doing well, he is smiling and he was really happy to see all his friends in the courtroom. He lost a bit of weight and there is something particularly sad about seeing him in a cage wearing the same shirt and trousers he wore when he was arrested in July.

Ales's demand for the trial to be held in the Belarusian language was rejected, so he was given a translator (and I swear to the absence of God, I speak Belarusian better then she), and the translation took ages, so sometimes even the Prosecutor forgot his role and spoke in Belarusian in order to go faster, -- this is Ales’ small victory.

The demand by Ales’ lawyer to release him from pretrial detention was denied, ‘considering the seriousness of the crime’ and because ‘he can leave the country’ - (just to remind you - since the beginning of the investigation, Ales went abroad and returned to Belarus10 times).

The funniest thing was the speech by the Prosecutor -- before he started the interrogation he said to Ales something like - ‘if you collaborate we will support or even ask for your release’ and Ales’ lawyer had to remind him that this proposal wasn't possible within the Code of criminal Proceedings which enumerates all the conditions for the release of convicted persons from pre-trial detention.

Then Ales was interrogated about all the amounts he received in his bank accounts shared by Lithuania and Poland. He was quite open about what was the purpose of funding. The only thing he systematically refused to comment on was the bank transfers to individuals. Ales made a statement saying his case was opened by the KGB so he refuses to respond to the questions concerning his colleagues because it might put them in danger of criminal prosecution.

And this moment was particularly moving, it reminded me of the speeches by dissidents in the time of the Soviet Union. Going to Belarus, I was reading Life and Destiny by Vassily Grossman, because I knew Ales reads it in jail. This is a great novel by a great Russian writer, and this book was “arrested” - all the manuscripts were seized by the KGB - because it was unimaginable to publish it in the USSR at that time. Belarus is often presented as the state where the spirit of the old USSR’ is still alive and it even attracts tourists nostalgic for the old days.

The thing that always surprises me in Ales is how proud he is of Belarus, I was and am still deeply ashamed of what is going on here. Today I was particularly proud of a guy from my country.