What are Ales Bialiatski’s perspectives in penal colony?

Political prisoner, human rights defender Ales Bialiatski sent his friends and relatives first postcards from the Babruisk penal colony where he has been kept since 28 February. He was placed in the quarantine for two weeks.

Ales writes that the transfer to the colony finally gave him the opportunity to see long-distance horizons, as he was deprived of such opportunity during his stay in the pre-trial prison in Minsk. It is well-known that a long stay in closed space deprives eye muscles of necessary training, which has a negative impact on one's eyesight.

The head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" has spent almost seven months in the pre-trial prison. The Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 4,5 years of imprisonment, which means that he will have to spend almost four years in the penal colony.

At present it is too early to speak about the incarceration conditions for Mr. Bialiatski, but according to the Criminal Executive Code of the Republic of Belarus he has the right to spend not more than 175,000 rubles a month on foodstuffs and essentials.

He also has the right to three short-term meetings (up to 4 hours) and two long-term meetings (up to 3 days) with relatives every year. His relatives can pass him three parcels and two wrappers a year.

The prison administration can either improve, or worsen the conditions for prisoners. For instance, they can be allowed to spend 105,000 more on buying foodstuffs and essentials, have two more (short-term and long-term) meetings a year and two additional parcels a year. At the same time, the rights to receive parcels and have meetings with relatives can be limited by the administration.

The post address of Babruisk penal colony No. 2 is: 213800, 1 Sikorski Street, Babruisk, Mahiliou Region, PK No. 2