Записки от ада: Ужасите в либийските затвори

by Валя Червеняшка, Nikolay Yordanov

Ha 9 февруaри 1999 г. cедемнaйcет бългaрcки медицинcки cеcтри са oтвлечени oт бoлницaтa, в кoятo рaбoтят в Бенгaзи, Либия, и зaтвoрени в пoлицейcки учacтък в cтoлицaтa Tрипoли. Cледвaщите ocем гoдини и пoлoвинa пет oт тях прекaрвaт в някoлкo либийcки зaтвoрa пo oбвинения в умишленo зaрaзявaне cъс CПИH нa пoвече oт 400 децa.

Това е изпoвед нa еднa cъвcем oбикнoвенa женa, чиетo лице cтaвa пoзнaтo нa целия cвят. Paзкaзa нa еднa бългaркa, въвлеченa в aбcурден прoцеc, без aнaлoг в cветoвнoтo прaвo. Книгата не прocтo прocледявa иcтoриятa нa прoцеca и нa жените, нaричaни oт целия cвят "петте бългaрcки медицинcки cеcтри". Toвa е и личнaтa иcтoрия нa Baля Червеняшкa. "Зaпиcки oт aдa" рaзкривa пoдрoбнocти oт рaбoтaтa ѝ в Бенгaзи, причините зa зaрaзявaнетo нa децaтa, чудoвищните изтезaния, нa кoитo е пoдлoженa, ужaca, неизвеcтнocттa, врaждебнocттa и приятелcтвoтo в либийcките зaтвoри, кaктo и кaквo е дa пoлучиш три cмъртни приcъди и дa oцелееш.

Книгата разкрива подробности и за ролята на Сесилия Саркози за разрешаването на кризата, която почерня стотици семейства на два континента, и поставя читателя нa мяcтoтo нa еднa обикновена женa, зaвърнaлa cе oт aдa.

Genres: Nonfiction, Libya

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2009

About the author

Valya Chervenyashka was born in poverty-stricken Vratsa, Bulgaria. She is married and has two daughters. Her whole life has been dedicated to nursing, most of it caring for children in Bulgarian hospitals. In the 1980s she was posted to Tarhuna, Libya where she received awards for her work with children. In 1998, she was arrested in Benghazi, Libya, transferred to a Tripoli jail, charged with conspiring to deliberately infect over 400 children with HIV and sentenced to death. Notes from Hell is her story, covering a decade of torture, cruelty and absolute despair.

Reviews

[Henk · Rating 3 out of 5]

A haunting book on a gross, 8.5 years miscarriage of justice. Simply written, and a bit unclear on what actually happened to trigger the HIV epidemic in Benghazi, but definitely heartfelt
We were only targeted because our countries wouldn’t take the effort to care for their citizens working abroad

Interesting that Bulgarian nurses were so poor that going to Libya was a good work opportunity. The whole blaming of the Filipino nurses is a bit harsh, but man this is a story that chills the reader. Libyan secret police using dogs, scorpions, whippings, electrocution, iron rods… it’s an incredible tale of brutality, featuring two months of continuous torture.

Bit simple written and the main character who tells the story never seems to do anything wrong but 5 years in prison before a first death sentencing and then another 3.5 years of imprisonment is completely incredible.

Joining the EU, and the involvement of Sarkozy in a diplomatic solution, is the only highlight of the book. A story that makes one want to write down the number of the embassy when ever you go abroad.

[Mira Panova · Rating 3 out of 5]

бахти жалката държава. Сесилия слейд.

[Katelyn (Lost as Alice, Mad as the Hatter) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We heard our names then a word we were already familiar with,'Byulada.' Death."

This true tale of horror that begins with the two months of constant torture followed by the subsequent eight years of imprisonment is told in a series of nightmarish snapshots by one of the people who would know the story best: Vayla Chervenyashka, one of the six Bulgarians falsely found guilty in Libya for injecting children with HIV.

"This is Libya, not Bulgaria; there is no ambassador for you."

At the height of an HIV epidemic in a Libyan children's hospital in the late 90s, Muammar al-Gaddafi 's bloodstained regime would toss 7 hospital workers to his poorly educated subjects as a government conspiracy to avoid public responsibility. The claims would range from injectioning children with HIV to CIA involvement to sex scandals between those accused with each accusation being more surreal than the last.

"It seems only as though the police only detained people from countries that didn't care for its citizens abroad."

And worst yet, political upheaval and a negligent government at home during the beginning of this farce those accused were left to face their tormentors alone as torture and humiliation progressed from the sadistic to the life threatening.

"Eventually one loses a sense of time, place, of everything. And most of all the will to live."

Valya takes us through the initial kidnapping of dozens of nurses and doctors, through the torture of those whose government did not lay claim to them, to beginnings of international involvement, into the courtrooms of the various circus trials, how the world support gave the falsely imprisoned a reason to hope, and finally how the EU's involvedment got them home.

"If it wasn't for Nasya, this meeting never would have happened. After she 'confessed,' she slit her wrists. "

Through her eyes we only begin to understanding how harrowing the months of torture

"The most agonizing pain boazed through my body and in an instant I believes I was in hell. I was in hell and hell was in me."

and years of imprisonment and false promises

"Despite having been forcibly removed from our loves ones and inhumanely tortured, what destroyed us was the lack of support from fellow Bulgarians."

slowly eroded these 5 women and 1 man's will to live.

Told like a sort of biographical diary, I was able to get a real feel for the personalities of each of the captives and how the fates of these strangers would intertwine to create one of the most public confirmations of unhumane abuse and injustice the world saw in the early 21st century.

"They were made to rehearse their confessions, sometimes at gunpoint. For every wrong answer or discrepancy, further torture ensued. "

In an account that is both poignant and standoffish, understanding and unforgiving I was moved at the plight of the six and the other Bulgarian prisoners.

"How easy it is to write about ut now, but how hard it was to endure."

I found myself glued to the pages as Vayla struggled with making peace with the past and being drug back down into it. Her voice clearly comes through from the disbelief at the first round of torture, to the inner struggles against those who confessed, to her joy at finally finding the support so long denied to them.

I highly recommend this book to those interested in first hand rehashes, world politics, or the ever growing disparity between public, political, and private justice.

[Stiliyana Angelieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Разтърсваща история през погледа на една изстрадала жена!

[Georgi Tokov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Изключително силна изповед , на изключително силна жена. Бруталните разкази , за изтезанията в затворите в Либия. Абсолютна незаинтересованост на така наречените наши депутати и “държава”. Тежки либийски психопати , срещу една силна българка. Въпреки мъченията, въпреки всичко преживяно, Валя оцелява - за да разкаже историята си днес. Огромни благодарности към Саркози и съпругата му, ако разчитаха на нашите държавни “мъже”, повече никога нямаше да видят българското слънце …

[Nicko D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it years ago, when the book was just published. Its really interesting and comparing to the rest two books about the topic, my opinion is that this is the best storyteller

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Notes From Hell is a biography about Valya Cherveniashka's experience being kidnapped along with 17 other nurses and held in prison by the Libyan government, accused of deliberately injecting children with HIV. During the eight and half years that Valya was held, she was tortured and falsely accused of crimes she did not commit. Her story is extremely harrowing. Instead of looking to find the right answers to prevent the spread of the virus, it is sad that the government was so haste to put the blame on foreign nurses that could not defend themselves.

[Ивелина Петкова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Жестокостта на две нации вплетена в историята на невинни хора и белязала ги завинаги!
Настръхвах, плаках, съпреживявах, ядосвах се и се разочаровах от постъпки, от хора!
Препоръчвам книгата, оказва се че чрез нея можем да направим и психоанализа на болните общества - либийското и българското.