Political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich to be transferred to stricter security prison for 3 years

The political prisoner “does not strive for freedom and intends to continue his criminal activity”, the penal colony administration thinks.

The administration of penal colony #17 considers Mikalai Statkevich a “malicious offender” of the rules of serving sentence, who did not mend his way, and demands to transfer him to a higher security prison for three years.

Colonel Yermalitski, the penal colony chief, wrote in a character certificate ahead of the trial against Statkevich scheduled on 12 January. Bear in mind that Mikalai Statkevich was placed into a temporary detention facility and then transferred to cell-type detention facility for a month.

He was declared a “malicious offender” even before he committed “serious violations”. It happened just after “Letters to freedom” were published in the media. Mikalai Statkevich was punished a week after his letters had been published.

“Prison is not the best place, but it cannot make me change my position. I do not admit guilt in the actions, which I am proud of. I thank the people who helped Belarusians to respect their nation,” Mikalai Statkevich, sentenced to 6 years in a medium security penal colony, wrote.