Siarhei Kavalenka refuses to stop his hunger-strike, while procuracy refuses to drop his case

A lawyer of an activist from Vitsebsk has received an official reply from the prosecutor’s office of the Pershamaiski district.

Siarhei Kavalenka, a member of the Conservative-Christian Party “Belarusian Popular Front”, has been placed in a detention facility. He has been on hunger strike for the 23^rd day protesting against criminal prosecution, RFE/RL reports. He has been transferred to a solitary cell recently. There he is regularly visited by medics who give him injections of glucose. The activist refuses to stop the hunger-strike until the prison administration executes his demands.

Activist’s wife Alena and his mother Lidziya Kavalenka applieed to the Vitsebsk region prosecutor’s office on 10 January, asking to release Siarhei so that he could receive medical care in hospital. According to information from Piotr Kavalenka, Siarhei was transferred to a solitary cell some days ago. He lost a considerable amount of weight and got glucose injections.

“I received the first letter from Siarhei written on 1 January. He writes he is all right. But I understand a letter with other words could not pass censorship,” Alena Kavalenka says.

Siarhei Kavalenka’s wife filed an appeal to the investigation committee asking to meet with her husband. This is the second appeal. The first one, filed on 3 January, was declined by investigator Siarhei Volkau.

Siarhei Kavalenka was placed in a detention facility three weeks ago for a period of investigation in a criminal case against him. He is charged with violating article 415 (avoidance of serving sentence) for violations of the rules of serving suspended sentence. He was convicted in 2010 for having hung out a white-red-white flag on city’s main Christmas Tree on 7 January. The activist may face up to three years in prison.