General Prosecutor’s Office misinforms Belarusian citizens and international community
The persons in custody at the KGB pre-trial prison are provided with access to legal protection and visits by their relatives, says Belarusian General Prosecutor’s Office spokesman in an interview with the BelaPAN news agency.
However, according to information of the Human Rights center “Viasna”, the statement of the prosecuting authorities is not true.
“Firstly, there have been no reports yet when relatives were allowed visiting the persons in custody at the KGB pre-trial prison. Secondly, counsels keep complaining about the inability to meet with their clients one-on-one, as provided by the Code of Criminal Procedures”, says human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich.
Article 48 of the CCP authorizes the counsels “to freely communicate with their clients one-on-one and privately without restrictions on the number and duration of conversations.
“The counsels may only be present during interrogations, however, as far as I know, none of them has actually had such meetings with their clients, despite the fact that Minsk Prosecutor’s Office requested that the administration of the KGB prison provided opportunities for such meetings”, says Mr. Stefanovich.
The human rights defender says the results of prosecutor’s inspection at the KGB prison are surprising.
“Probably, they should write then which of the prisoners had a meeting with the relatives. Neither Mikhalevich, nor Sannikau, nor Khalip, nor Niakliayeu, nor Radzina has had a meeting with their families. Therefore, I do not know what the Prosecutor’s Office is writing about, what and where it inspected, because the situation is quite different”, concludes Valiantsin Stefanovich.
