NGO Platforma addresses Constitutional Court
The Platforma information and educational NGO has addressed the Constitutional Court with a statement on a number of legal acts, questioning their compliance with the Basic Law, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
The statement deals with recent reports on Zmitser Dashkevich’s detention conditions, when he was repeatedly denied access to counsel’s assistance between June and late August 2011.
According to the prisoner’s lawyers, they repeatedly received information of his need for legal aid. Therefore, they for several times visited penal colony in the town of Horki. However, the colony’s administration denied meetings referring to a number of legal acts, which require a written application by the prisoner. Meanwhile, the colony’s administration officials failed to inform Zmitser Dashkevich of the need to submit the required application. Thus, the convict’s Constitutional right to legal assistance was violated.
The bans were repeatedly appealed at the Interior Ministry’s Department for the Execution of Sentences and the Prosecutor’s Office of Mahiliou region. The official replies cited a number of active legal acts, with total disregard of Article 62 of the Belarusian Constitution, which guarantees the right to legal assistance.
Thus, the implementation of the Constitutional right to legal aid has been disregarded and put into dependence on the will of a separate penal system official, states the appeal by Platforma.
