Philosopher, priest, cycling activist, editor: more than 40 older people remain behind bars
According to Viasna, today there are at least 42 older people behind bars whose age exceeds 60 years. Many of them have serious health problems, and their condition is rapidly deteriorating in prison. Such conditions become a great ordeal for a healthy person, and for older people they amount to nothing less than torture.
On the International Day of the Older Persons, we share some of their stories.
The oldest of the political prisoners is 76-year-old Mikhail Liapeika from Mahilioŭ, who was directed for compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital for insulting Lukashenka.
- Barys Kuchynski
Barys Kuchynski, 74, was sentenced to two years in a penal colony. He was detained when the man was in his garden. Kuchynski is an economist by education. He plays the trumpet, the saxophone, the clarinet, the guitar, and the keyboard. He likes jazz the most. In letters to his family, the man asked if they had fed the trees, as recommended on the Internet. The man has hearing problems. The fine and moral damages he has to pay are being deducted from his pension.
- Uladzimir Hundar
Uladzimir Hundar, 64, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment under several articles. The man has a disability, as he does not have a leg. It is known that even before the trial, Uladzimir, imprisoned, was under pressure all the time: he was placed in a punishment cell, and once during the transfer he was forced to walk without crutches.
During his trial, he spoke about a beating during his detention. During his stay in the punishment cell of prison No. 1, he began to hear poorly on the last day of his term. After leaving the punishment cell, he began to feel feverish. The man felt very cold and his head and ears ached. He stopped hearing his cellmates and realized that he was completely deaf. Later it became known that the political prisoner partially regained his hearing after an examination and the help of a doctor. The political prisoner wrote that his hearing, lost in the punishment cell, returned to him, but not completely.
It was reported that the political prisoner was kept in solitary confinement. At first, he was taken for walks on crutches, but then it became impossible: the rubber tips wore out, and there was nothing to replace them with. Relatives sent a parcel for him, but it is not known whether it has reached him.
- Iryna Melkher
67-year-old political prisoner Iryna Melkher suffered a hypertensive crisis, and her condition worsens every day: she has problems with her heart and nerves. For the first month after her detention, she could not sleep until she was prescribed sedatives. In the Brest pre-trial detention center, she had to sleep on the upper bunk, and she could not get off it on her own. At the same time, the woman often had to use the toilet, as she has kidney problems. Therefore, when she woke up at night, she had to wait for someone to wake up and help her climb back up. She was sentenced to 17 years of imprisonment.
- Halina Dzerbysh
63-year-old Halina Dzerbysh, a cancer patient, has a disability and heart problems. Her health condition deteriorated in custody, and immediately after her detention she was placed in a punishment cell, where she lost consciousness several times. It is known that the necessary medicines were given to her either late or not at all. She was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony.
- Uladzimir Matskevich
Uladzimir Matskevich, a 67-year-old philosopher, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. Despite his older age, he went on a hunger strike. During it, the man's blood pressure decreased, his arms and legs were numb, and he felt very tired. In early August 2023, the political prisoner underwent a planned surgery at the republican hospital, and on August 18, 2023, the philosopher was transferred from the hospital back to prison.
- Mikalai Statkevich
67-year-old Mikalai Statkevich was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. He was ill with COVID at least three times during his imprisonment, which resulted in him developing pneumonia.
- Vasil Dzemidovich
Vasil Dzemidovich, a 72-year-old senior citizen and political prisoner is behind bars. He was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony. Vasil is the oldest Belarusian included in the KGB list of "terrorists". It should be noted that over the past year, the man has gone through dozens of transfers between detention facilities. This has a severe negative impact on Vasil's health.
- Henrykh Akalatovich
The 64-year-old priest Henrykh Akalatovich suffered a heart attack and recently underwent gastric surgery due to cancer. He needs medical supervision and constant medication.
- Viktar Babaryka
Viktar Babaryka, 60, was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. Imprisoned, he worked in a bakery. He had to stay there all the time, in a room with almost no ventilation, with a temperature of +30°C. In November 2023, it became known that the political prisoner is now tasked with burning charcoal. He works a full 9-hour day, 6 days a week, outside, without no access to a room where he would be able to warm up during the shift. It is known that Viktar has medical contraindications for this kind of work.
On the night of April 24–25, 2023, Viktar Babaryka was taken to the surgery department of Navapolack Hospital: he had fluid in his lungs. It was also reported that Babaryka spent a long time in the winter in a punitive isolation cell (SHIZO).
- Aliaksandr Mantsevich
Aliaksandr Mantsevich, the 66-year-old editor of Rehiyanalnaya Hazeta, was sentenced to four years in a penal colony. He won numerous journalistic contests and was awarded prizes for high standards of work.
- Barys Vitko
Barys Vitko, a 68-year-old senior citizen from Liakhavičy, was sentenced to seven years and three months in a penal colony and a fine of 12 thousand rubles (more than 3,200 euros). The man has heart problems and must constantly take medication. According to his cellmates, he also had strokes.
- Henadz Drazdou
65-year-old artist Henadz Drazdou suffered two strokes. In the winter of 2023, he was placed in SHIZO.
- Henadz Fiadynich
66-year-old Henadz Fiadynich has heart problems and diabetes. He was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony.
- Vatslau Areshka
68-year-old Vatslau Areshka has a number of diseases, including eye problems that could potentially lead to blindness. He was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony.
63-year-old Sviatlana Karol was sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment. Sviatlana is a senior citizen and cycling activist from Homieĺ, chairwoman of VelaHomieĺ regional public association. Previously, Karol worked as a teacher.
- Natallia Malets
68-year-old senior citizen Natallia Malets was sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment for helping political prisoners.
- Piotr Staratsitarau
66-year-old businessman Piotr Staratsitarau was sentenced to five years of imprisonment for anti-war messages that insulted Lukashenka.
- Iryna Takarchuk
Iryna Takarchuk is the 64-year-old mother of former political prisoner Volha Takarchuk. She was detained on January 23, 2024, during a mass raid by security forces on relatives of political prisoners. She was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.
