News on the topic: political prisoners
26.07.2015 Brest Regional Court turns down appeal in Yury Rubtsou case
On July 24, the Brest Regional Court rejected the appeal of political prisoner Yury Rubtsou against a decision of the Pružany District Court, leaving the two-year sentence unchanged. The activist, who was serving a sentence in a correctional facility of open type in the village Kuplin, Pružany district, was accused of evasion from serving the punishment of restraint of liberty (Art. 415 of the Criminal Code).
22.07.2015 Maryna Adamovich: “Refusal to register Statkevich’s initiative group violates the law”
Maryna Adamovich, the wife of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, and head of his campaign team, argues that the refusal to register his initiative violates the Electoral Code.
14.07.2015 Mikalai Dziadok. Bitter taste of colony in Horki
Mikalai Dziadok has been held in the correctional colony in Horki for two months already. He was transferred there on May 12, after being sentenced to one year of imprisonment under Article 411 of the Criminal Code.
13.07.2015 Mikalai Dziadok and his cellmate held in 5 sq. m. cell
Mikalai Dziadok was transferred to a cell-type unit for six months after 42 days in a punishment cell.
12.07.2015 Political prisoner Rubtsou repeatedly goes on a hunger strike
Since July 1 Yury Rubtsou has gone on a hunger strike. The reason is the treatment and confinement conditions in the Baranavichy pretrial detention facility.
08.07.2015 There has been no information about Ihar Alinevich for a month already
As reported by the mother of the political prisoner, Valiantsina Alinevich, there hasn't been any information about him for a month already. This fact is of great concern, as the latest news about him back in May were that was placed in the penal cell for a short term.
06.07.2015 Ales Bialiatski: Belarusian authorities use Soviet punitive methods
Six political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, including an ex-presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, Mikalai Statkevich. A number of democratic structures united around the initiative of nominating Mr. Statkevich as a candidate in the current presidential elections. This should be a manifestation of solidarity and draw public attention to the problem of political prisoners, who are still pressurized. Recently, Mikalai Dziadok's lawyer wasn't allowed to visit his client, ho is serving his prison term in penal colony No. 9 in Horki. In March, Mikalai was to have been released after serving 4.5 years in prison. Instead, he was sentenced to another year in a penal colony.
02.07.2015 New obstacles put to political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok
Today, July 2, the lawyer of Mikalai Dziadok didn't manage to meet with him. This was reported to the HRC “Viasna” by Mikalai's father.
30.06.2015 Pavel Sapelka: “There are legal mechanisms to release Statkevich”
According to Pavel Sapelka, lawyer at the Human Rights Center "Viasna", political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich cannot be amnestied, however, saying that Statkevich has to write a petition so that Lukashenka could release him is wrong, because according to the existing legislation, Mikalai Statkevich can not only be released without any petitions but also returned to political life.
29.06.2015 Yury Rubtsou speaks of Baranavichy isolation ward: We are fed like pigs
Almost a month ago, May 29, Homel activist Yury Rubtsou, famous for his public call for Lukashenka's dismissal, was sentenced to 2 additional years of deprivation of liberty. The trial was conducted in Pruzhany, but he is still kept in Baranavichy remand prison, as his cassation appeal is not considered yet, before the trial Rubtsou was on hunger strike for a month.
26.06.2015 Prison officials limit Mikalai Dziadok’s meetings with lawyer
On June 25, Mikalai Dziadok’s meeting with his lawyer lasted only 15 minutes. The rest of the time allocated for the counsel’s visit to prison was taken by the preparation of papers, accommodating the lawyer in the visiting room and waiting for the political prisoner. This is not the first time that the duration of Mikalai Dziadok’s communication with the counsel is severely limited.
24.06.2015 Prisoner’s Godparenthood: Manuel Sarrazin adopts Mikalai Dziadok
Manuel Sarrazin, Member of the German Bundestag and European policy spokesman for the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group, has taken on a prisoner’s godparenthood for Mikalai Dziadok.
22.06.2015 Mikalai Statkevich fears provocations in prison
Mikalai Statkevich, who is held in Mahilou prison No.4, fears possible provocations.
18.06.2015 Activists from Mikaševičy fined for distributing leaflets about political prisoners
According to a decision of the administrative commission of the Mikaševičy city executive committee, Vital Kalinouski, member of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada), has been punished by a fine of three basic units.
13.06.2015 Mikalai Statkevich: "They tried to persuade me to refuse from solitary confinement”
Political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich expressed his precautions concerning the presidential campaign of the Republic of Belarus (which will be launched quite soon) in a letter to Bialyničy activist Barys Vyrvich.
