News on the topic: penitentiary system
14.04.2016 Human rights activists warn authorities against building concentration camps
Activists of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” say they are outraged over the President's recent order to tighten the conditions for convicts serving prison terms on drug-related charges.
21.03.2016 Death in Žodzina prison: accident or negligence?
Ms. Maryna Bahdanava says her son died as a result of negligence by the doctors of prison No. 8 in the town of Žodzina, Minsk region.
02.03.2016 Viasna publishes report on monitoring places of detention in Belarus
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” has analyzed the situation in places of detention in Belarus and prepared a report on the results of monitoring in 2015.
18.02.2016 Creating separate colony with intolerable conditions of detention contrary to fundamental principles of international and national law
In accordance with Article 8 of the Criminal Executive Code, which enshrines the foundations of the legal status of convicted persons, the State guarantees the protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of convicts, provides the statutory conditions of application of punishments and other measures of criminal responsibility in relation to convicts, guarantees social justice, their social, legal and other protection.
07.12.2015 Legal proceedings in jail death case deadlocked
Despite the fact that the judges have overturned a number of decisions by the Svietlahorsk district office of the Investigative Committee, they generally support the investigation in the death of Aliaksandr Akulich, disregarding the undeniable arguments of human rights defenders.
01.12.2015 Department of Corrections should not forget about country’s international obligations
The Department of Corrections has responded to a petition of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”, which requested information about the conditions of detention of Andrei Bandarenka, former head of the Platform Innovation human rights NGO. However, the request was left without consideration on the merits in the interests of Bandarenka.
25.11.2015 Closed medical institutions: Treatment or violence?
Every year, Belarusian courts consider about 700 lawsuits asking for forced treatment of citizens, 90% of which are met. Meanwhile, the patients of closed institutions keep writing to human rights defenders with complaints of ill-treatment. Pavel Sapelka, who specializes in analyzing the country’s penal system, concludes that the current legal regulation in this area is insufficient. His findings are based on a detailed analysis of legislation and practice with respect to special hospitals.
03.11.2015 Mother still seeking details in jail death case
Zhanna Ptsichkina, the mother of Ihar Ptsichkin who died in Minsk’s jail in Valadarski Street in August 2013, has been allowed to see the results of a new examination of her dead son’s body carried out in a re-opened criminal case. The investigation continues, but the woman still faces a ban on disclosing any details.
27.10.2015 Detention conditions improved in jails in Minsk and Smaliavičy after complaint from activist
In 2015, Leanid Kulakou, activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, has served two short jail terms in the temporary detention facilities in Smaliavičy and Minsk. The penalties were imposed on the activist or taking part in two protests, including in solidarity with political prisoner Yury Rubtsou.
11.09.2015 Convict from Mazyr: prison rules are established in open facility
80 convicts of open correctional facility No. 20 in Mazyr filed a collective complaint to the Department of Corrections at the Ministry of Interior.
01.09.2015 "Council of Ministers will hardly understand those who study in special schools"
August 24,two pupils escaped from the closed vocational school in Mahilioŭ. This is far from the first case when pupils escape from correctional educational institutions.
26.08.2015 “Prisoners in activity therapy centers should not be employed but dismissed”
Local executive authorities have received an obligation to assist the activity therapy centers (medical-labor dispensaries, popularly known as LTPs) in the employment of citizens, and open-type correctional institutions have been charged with the employment of prisoners. The decision is ordered by a resolution of the Council of Ministers of 14 August 2015, Interfax reports, citing the press service of the government.
20.08.2015 Poisoning with bleach: Torture or ‘violation of sanitary norms”?
The Investigative Committee of Belarus has quashed a decision not to institute criminal proceedings against employees of the Mahilioŭ-based penal colony No. 15, who tortured prisoner Piotr Kuchura with bleach during his confinement in the punishment cell. However, when notifying the convict, a representative of the Investigative Committee writes about a ‘violation of sanitary norms’.
19.08.2015 Ban on prisoners’ electoral rights groundless, say human rights defenders
As part of the campaign "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections", lawyer Pavel Sapelka analyzes the issue of unjustified restriction of the right to participate in elections imposed on prisoners and people held in custody awaiting trial.
06.08.2015 Women in penal colonies: violation of labor and social rights
Andrew Coyle, the author of aids for prison staff "A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management", (International Centre for Prison Studies) argues that women constitute from 2% to 8% of the total number of prisoners in all penitentiary systems of the world.
