Prosecutor General's Office: no grounds for considering appeals to provide medical care to Marfa Rabkova

The Prosecutor General's Office will not respond to numerous citizens' appeals related to inadequate detention conditions and failure to provide medical care to the coordinator of Viasna’s volunteer network Marfa Rabkova.

This is stated in a press release posted on the official website of the agency. In particular, the Prosecutor General's Office refers to the fact that “petitions and complaints in a criminal case can be filed by participants in criminal proceedings and other individuals or legal entities, as long as legal proceedings and decisions affect their interests. However, it is not indicated in the e-appeals, submitted to the prosecutor's office via the Internet, that the applicants are parties to the criminal proceedings in the case of Marfa Rabkova, and, accordingly, there are no grounds for considering such appeals. 

The Prosecutor General's Office also recalls that according to Part 4 of the Law “On Appeals of Citizens and Legal Entities”, the right to appeal should be exercised by citizens in person or through their representatives. Besides, the latter need, for example, a letter of authorization in order to exercise their powers.

“Due to the fact that the appeals received by the General Prosecutor's Office were submitted by persons not authorized to do so, they are rejected.

Should the Prosecutor General's Office receive further similar appeals, they will also be left without consideration on the merits on the same grounds without notifying the applicants,” reads the press release.

The health of political prisoner and human rights activist Marfa Rabkova is seriously deteriorating; she needs urgent examination but is not receiving adequate medical care in jail. Marfa suffers from constant abdominal pain and inflamed lymph nodes on her neck. Blood tests made by Marfa back in the fall of 2021 showed poor results: low hemoglobin and signs of an inflammatory process. For that reason, the human rights defender demanded an ultrasound examination. Viasna members learned that the ultrasound was not performed until March 2022, and revealed fluid in the small pelvis in the result. This condition requires immediate further examination both by a surgeon and a gynecologist. Surgery may be needed. Also, Marfa Rabkova's teeth continue to decay and crumble. She is not allowed to visit the dentist for about 9 months already.

Earlier Amnesty International published an appeal to the Prosecutor General of Belarus to provide medical assistance to Marfa Rabkova.

Marfa Rabkova not getting urgent medical aid in jail

The health of political prisoner and human rights activist Marfa Rabkova is seriously deteriorating; she needs urgent examination but is not receiving adequate medical care in jail.

The Observatory calls for urgent intervention in Marfa Rabkova's case

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and FIDH, has received new information and requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Belarus.

Amnesty International: Write to demand urgent medical assistance for Marfa Rabkova

Amnesty International calls on its activists around the globe to write to the Belarusian authorities urging them to provide "adequate medical care" to the imprisoned member of Viasna Marfa Rabkova.