Head of Shklou colony creates obstacles to Mikalai Statkevich’s marriage

Siarhei Yarmalitski, head of penal colony #17 in Shklou, purposefully refuses to sign the statement about the intention to get married, signed by the former presidential candidate, political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich. He also refused to have an audience with civil activist Krystsina Shatsikava.

Human rights defender Barys Bukhel paid a visit to the colony yesterday, and managed to get an audience with the official.

“The head of the colony told me that everything was alright with Mikalai Statkevich, he felt well and worked as an unskilled worker, which was connected with consequences of the trauma of his arm. According to Yarmalitski, Statkevich sleeps on the lower berth. What concerns the marriage of the ex-candidate, he said that the date of the marriage hadn’t been determined so far,” says Barys Bukhel.

However, Statkevich’s fiancée Maryna Adamovich told Barys Bukhel something quite different. According to her, the statement about the intention to marry, which the head of the penal colony refuses to sign, was filed back on 27 June. He has been creating obstacles all this time. For instance, he asks to bring some documents and then says another one has been lost somewhere, so it needs to be brought once again, etc.

Mr. Bukhel says he will continue watching the situation of Mikalai Statkevich and pay regular visits to the head of the Shklou colony.