MEP Migalski releases statement concerning Bandarenka

Marek Migalski, Member of the European Parliament, has issued a statement concerning Belarusian political prisoner Dzmitry Bandarenka.

As a substitute to the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Belarus and „godparent” to Dzmitry Bandarenka I am  deeply concerned over his situation. His health started to deterioraite due to prison conditions that are an affront to human dignity as well as to ill treatment of which he became a victim. Bandarenka's health problems are serious: he suffers from gastric ulcers, podagra and a spinal disease.

Dzmitry Bandarenka is currently being held in the prison hospital. On Tuesday in the hospital no 5 in Minsk he will undergo  a very serious spinal operation. This kind of operation should be followed by a special rehabilitation process otherwise the patient may become disabled. All the consulting doctors, including doctors from the prison hospital, make objections to the operation. Rehabilitation should last at least few months,  but as prison authorities have decided, Bandarenka will be transfered after two weeks to the penal colony.

Dzmitry Bandarenka corroborated the allegations about severe conditions and various „sophisticated” methods of physical and mental torture applied by secret services on political prisoners. In January when his health started to worsen, he asked the prison authorities for medical assistence but instead receiving help he found himself thrown into a solitary confinement cell for 10 days. In the first hours in the cell  he was confined with a chain. For the whole time he has spent in prison he was sleeping on planks on the cold floor.

I strongly urge Belarusian authorities not to perform the operation that will not be followed by the appropriate rehabilitation and to immediately and unconditionaly release Dzmitry Bandarenka.

I also call upon Belarusian authorities to follow the laws as defined in the international conventions, of which Belarus is a party, as well as its own internal law both guaranteeing respect for the rights of prisoners.

Dr Marek Migalski,

Member of the European Parliament