Leanid Kulakou complains about the conditions of detention in the detention center of Minsk district

Activist of "European Belarus" Leanid Kulakou is serving 7 days of administrative arrest for solidarity with political prisoner Yury Rubtsou.

July 29, he voluntarily came to the temporary detention center of the Minsk district in Skaryna Street to continue serving his term as a sign of solidarity with Yury Rubtsou who had a birthday at that time.

Let us remind that back on June 19, the activists of the “European Belarus” Leanid Kulakou, Siarhei Matskoits' and Maksim Viniarski were detained in Minsk for a banner “Freedom to Rubtsou”. All of them spent the weekend at the detention center of Minsk district. June 22, Minsk District Court sentenced Matskoits to five days of arrest and Viniarski – to ten days of arrest, for “violating the order of organizing and holding mass events” (Art. 23.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

The trial of Kulakou, who didn't take part in hanging out the banner, was postponed until June 23 as a result of the motion of his lawyer for summoning witnesses. However, later Mr. Kulakou was found guilty and was sentenced to ten days of arrest.

Leanid Kulakou challenged the verdict at Minsk Regional Court on July 17. The judge upheld the initial sentence and dismissed the appeal.

While serving the arrest, a HIV-positive citizen was kept in the same cell with the activist for three days. Leanid Kulakou has filed an appeal against the conditions in the detention center. On July 3 he was visited by an officer of the Prosecutor's Office, who questioned him regarding his appeal.