News on the topic: detention conditions
19.05.2014 Dzianis Karnou: There are opposition activists, tramps and prostitutes in Akrestsin Street detention center
In the evening of May 16, Dzianis Karnou, an activist of the Young Front’s Salihorsk branch, was released from the Center of Isolation of Offenders located in Akrestsin Street in Minsk, after serving 20 days of arrest. After his release, he described the circumstances of his detention, the trial and conditions in prison.
28.04.2014 Mahiliou Regional Prosecutor’s Office finds no violations of detention conditions
Responses received by a member of the United Civil Party, Anton Kastsou, from a number of government bodies say that an inspection failed to establish whether he was held in the same cell with the citizens previously convicted of criminal offences.
18.04.2014 Mikalai Autukhovich: “When I was released, former head of tax inspection asked for bodyguard”
Former political prisoner, Vaukavysk businessman told about the conditions of detention in Belarusian prisons, about his opinion on the entrepreneurial movement in Belarus and assessed the level of corruption in the country.
16.04.2014 Prisoners tell about radical approaches to correcting in penal colony No. 9 in Horki
Human rights defenders keep receiving information on the situation of prison inmates as part of a campaign of monitoring places of detention in Belarus. The Human Rights Center “Viasna” earlier covered the issue of using prisoners who cooperate with the administrations of prisons to perform sensitive tasks.
04.04.2014 Husband of critical campaigner repeatedly sentenced to three years in prison
On April 4, the Court of Mahiliou’s Kastrychnitski district, according to the decision of the Mahiliou Regional Court, confirmed the sentencing of Piotr Kuchura, whose wife Liudmila Kuchura is famous for her involvement in a campaign against lawlessness of law enforcement officials, to a three-year prison term. The verdict was announced despite the fact that the Regional Court found significant violations of the criminal procedural law during the first trial.
20.03.2014 Staff of detention center in Akrestsin Street refuse to accept parcel for Homel activists
Activists of "Young Front" from Homel, Stanislau Bula and Dzmitry Karashkou, were detained on March 11 outside the Russian embassy in Minsk while displaying posters saying "Putin, Hands Off Ukraine" and "No to War! Putin is an Enemy".
20.02.2014 Public control of prisons: Legislative restrictions
What is the meaning of the phrase “on the basis and in the manner prescribed by law” included in the rule of the Code providing public associations with the right to control the activities of prisons? Is control by the PMCs efficient?
31.01.2014 Yauhen Vaskovich visited by mother and grandmother
Yauhen Vaskovich’s mother, Rushaniya, tells little about her recent visit to the Mahiliou-based prison No. 4, where her son is serving a seven-year term.
29.01.2014 Zmitser Dashkevich publishes book of prison stories
The book “Worm” written by former political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich has been published in Vilnius.
13.01.2014 Expert: System of confinement of juvenile offenders requires close attention
As part of a campaign of monitoring places of detention in Belarus, lawyer Pavel Sapelka highlights conditions in juvenile correctional educational and medical institutions, and the reception centers for minors.
27.12.2013 Platforma Innovation: There are fewer prisoners in Belarus, but their treatment fails to improve
In their annual monitoring released today, activists of the Platforma Innovation human rights NGO note that there number of inmates held in Belarusian jails has decreased, while their treatment has only improved in a number of places, Radio Liberty reports.
26.12.2013 Babruisk correctional colony wants former political prisoners to “compensate for expenses”
Zmitser Drozd and Siarhei Kazakou received a suit from Babruisk correctional colony No. 2.
24.12.2013 How prisoners live “on taxpayers’ money”: utility bills from Mahiliou colony No. 15
Minsk resident Liudmila Kuchura, whose husband is serving his sentence in the Mahiliou-based penal colony No. 15, received a certificate of municipal services covered by prisoners, as a reply to her request sent to the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Corrections.
23.12.2013 Expert: Restrictions on prisoners’ appeals to state bodies, public organizations and media are groundless
The issue of filing complaints or expressing dissatisfaction by prisoners is analyzed by lawyer Pavel Sapelka, expert of a monitoring group that studies the conditions of citizens in detention in Belarus.
20.12.2013 Mother of inmate who died in Svetlahorsk prison goes to court
The decision to file a complaint was taken after Valiantsina Akulich received another runaround reply from district prosecutor Uladzimir Tarasenka, which showed the meaninglessness of further correspondence with prosecutors. Mr. Tarasenka considered the woman’s complaint, without studying the materials of a probe into the death of her son.
