The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

On 4 May the former political prisoners Artsiom Dubski Andrei Kim, Alexander Kazulin, Mikhail Marynich, Siarhei Parsiukevich, Siarhei Skrabets and Mikalai Statkevich, the politicians Liavon Barsheuski andViachaslau Siwchyk, the entrepreneur Ales Makayeu and the youth activists Mikalai Dzemidzenka, Nasta Palazhanka and Andrei Tsianiuta declared a hunger-strike.

Vitsebsk committee ‘For the Freedom of Siarhei Parsiukevich’ has issued a book about the political prisoner. The edition features a number of articles on the history of Parsiukevich’s detention and imprisonment. The book will be distributed among Vitsebsk businessmen and authorities.

The lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya has met with her client, political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich, kept in the quarantine department of Shklou colony. He will be kept in the quarantine till 16 June.

Siarhei Parsiukevich has found himself without money and food after he was transferred to the Shklou penal colony. According to his wife, Vitsebsk entrepreneurs have recently attended the prison to pass him a food parcel, but the administration of the colony refused to accept it, RFE/RL reports.

Appeal of political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich is to be heard in the Maskouski district court of Minsk on 30 May.

RFE/RL learnt that from lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya.

The court of the Maskouski district of Minsk sentenced Siarhei Parsiukevich, one of the leaders of the entrepreneurs’ movement, to two and a half years in a minimum security colony. The Vitebsk businessman was arrested in Minsk on 4 March for allegedly “violent acts against a police officer.”

Vitebsk businessman Siarhei Parsiukevich has firsthand knowledge of guard in the Zhodzina pretrial detention center, where he is kept before the hearing of the causational appeal. Leader of entrepreneurs’ movement was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment for participation in the protest rally on 10 January. S. Parsiukevich was warned in the detention center an entry “escape inclined” might be posted in his personal file. Natallya, entrepreneur’s wife, learnt about the event from the letter:

According to his lawyer, Vera Stramkouskaya, Parsiukevich has asthma aggravation, and doctors recommend him an urgent operation. There are no conditions for it in the Zhlobin detention center, RFE/RL reports.

According to the lawyer Vera Stramkouskaya, 2 May the entrepreneur Siarhei Parsiukevich was transferred to the investigative isolator in Zhodzina (Smaliavichy district).

The commission on the cases of minors of Pershamaiski district executive committee of Vitsebsk has issued warnings to the 17-year-old pupils of school #38, Krystsina and Viktoryia Chyzh, after the sisters were detained on 16 April, at an action of solidarity with political prisoners.