Prosecutor General's Office bounces Young Front’s appeal on recent death in Minsk detention center

The General Prosecutor's Office did not respond to an appeal of the youth organization "Young Front" (registered in the Czech Republic) on the situation with the death of Ihar Ptsichkin in the Minsk-based detention center No. 1. Instead, Prosecutor in charge of supervision over the legality of the execution of criminal penalties, A. Malashevich, forwarded the appeal to the head of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Lt. Col. Darashko.

Deputy chairman of the "Young Front" Ivan Shyla considers such acts absurd, “In addition to direct investigation into the death of Ihar Ptsichkin and launching real inspections of all the institutions where prisoners are either serving sentences or held awaiting trial, we demanded the resignation of the head of the Department of Corrections. This is the person who is directly responsible for the treatment of prisoners and detainees, including those in Prison No. 1. Bouncing the appeal to the Department is like entrusting the fox to investigate the disappearance of chickens,” says Ivan Shyla.

The Young Front appealed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office following the death of Ihar Ptsichkin in Minsk detention center No. 1 in early August, demanding to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident. According to the Young Front activists, the death of the young man is not an accident, as the treatment of prisoners and detainees in the penal system contributes to such cases. Apart from that, the Young Front called for the resignation of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Head of the Department of Corrections and the head of Minsk detention facility No. 1.