Pavel Sapelka: Situation with Anton Surapin’s detention in KGB prison reminds of December 2010

Human rights lawyer Pavel Sapelka says the current situation of journalist Anton Surapin, who has been reportedly denied access to his lawyer for two days, may repeat the events of December 2010, when persons arrested on charges of involvement in mass riots were not able to meet their counsels for weeks.

“Then, in December 2010, lawyers had to sit in the KGB reception office, waiting to be allowed meeting with their clients, but kept being told that there were no vacant rooms. However, as it turned out later, our clients were being tortured at the time,” says the lawyer, who used to protect the rights of former presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau.

Pavel Sapelka says the media and human rights defenders should monitor the situation, in order not to let the events repeat.