No pardon for Zmitser Bandarenka
A lawyer has visited Zmitser Bandarenka in the Mahiliou penal colony today.
Volha Bandarenka, the wife of the coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, also
visited the colony.
Volha said to charter97.org website the penal colony would not petition
to Aliaksandr Lukashenka for pardoning Zmitser
Bandarenka.
This decision was taken by the parole board on 8 February.
“It's obvious they do not want to free political prisoners. I did not expect a
positive solution, but I would be happy to be mistaken. It became clear that
the pardon application, which the authorities demanded, do not play a role,”
Volha Bandarenka said.
Zmitser Bandarenka phoned his wife Volha on 4 February and said he had applied
for a pardon. The political prisoner said he signed the application on 1 February.
Zmitser Badnarenka has serious problems with health. On 30 January, new strict
rules were applied to him, though he underwent a difficult spinal surgery. He
cannot use a walking stick and wear orthopedic shoes.
Zmitser Bandarenka, an election agent of presidential candidate Andrei Sannikau
and coordinator of the “European Belarus” civil campaign, was sentenced to 2
years in a minimum security penal colony on 7 April. After the arrest, he was
diagnosed with spinal disc hernia and spinal nerve entrapment. On 25 July he
was taken from the Republic
Prison Hospital
to 5th hospital and operated.
