Vaukavysk Entrepreneur Mikalai Autukhovich Keeps Hungering in Investigative Isolator of Hrodna Prison

According to RFE/RL

For Mikalai Autukhovich the present hunger-strike is already the fifth one for the last 2,5 years. At the court he stated he was innocent and this was the only reason for his hunger-strike. Otherwise, he wouldn’t put his health at risk. At present he doesn’t eat anything and drinks only tea with honey.

Mr Autukhovich also asked to pass him some medicines, because as a result of the hunger-strikes he has problems with his teeth and gums. However, according to the lawyer Halina Ivanova, he doesn’t make any official statements concerning his state of health because he doesn’t want any protraction of the trial.

Mikalai Autukhovich is judged under part 2 of Article #243 of the Criminal-Process Code. He can be given up to 7 years of jail with property confiscation or without it. The other accused on this case is the director of the Nika-trans firm Iury Liavonau. Mr Autukhovich was first put in the investigative isolator last autumn. There he hungered for 74 days in order to get the authorities change the restraint to him. Then he was transferred to home arrest and escaped. He was wanted for 2 months, detained on 8 April in Minsk and put back to the isolator.