Stefan Hutkaj, born in 1900, Roman Catholic, Polish national.
I was arrested on 18 September 1939 by the Soviet militia and detained in a prison in Słonim. One month into my stay in prison, the interrogation began. It lasted for six months. I was accused of being an enemy of the Soviet government (a counter-revolutionary) and sentenced to 15 years in prison. During the examination, a revolver was held to my head. On several occasions I was thrown into a bunker filled with water up to 50 centimeters. Inside the bunker, attached to the wall, was a steel bar intended for sitting. I was wearing only my underwear when they placed me in that bunker. They denied me food. Prison food consisted of: hot water (kipyatok), a piece of bread, and soup. This was the daily ration for prisoners. On average there were 40 people in one cell. At the end of 1940, I was transported to Nowogródek, and then to Tambov, before the outbreak of the German-Soviet war. In December 1941 I was released and travelled to Tatishchevo, where I joined the Polish army.