“Young Front” activist Ivan Shyla describes prison conditions
On 4 March, Ivan Shyla, the
“Young Front” deputy head, was released from the detention centre in Akrestsin Street
after 19 days in custody.
The activist, arrested just before the awards ceremony “I love Belarus”,
shared his impressions about the confinement conditions, writes the Human
Rights Center “Viasna”.
“Some progress in detention centre’s confinement conditions can be noticed,”
the “Young Front” activist says. “I was allowed to have a sleeping bag, I was
taken out for walks, I took a shower as many as four times. It was a problem a
year ago.”
The guy focused more on problems. He had an allergy during the first days in
custody. His requests to call an emergency ambulance were denied. A local
doctor was unable to help because he did not have necessary medicines.
“They said medicines were ordered specially for me, but they are to appear only
in March. My parents managed to pass me medicines through Young Front
activists. Without it, I would have been taken to hospital,” Ivan Shyla says. “My face swelled.
Chaps on my face and strange spots on my hands appeared. I do not have them in
normal sanitary conditions.”
Though inmates were allowed to use sleeping bags, it was very cold. Due to
constant draughts, high humidity and temperature drops, the healthy 20-year guy
caught bronchitis and could not recover even with the help of antibiotics.
But the strongest impression for the activist was not allergy, cold and
humidity in the cell, but lice and rats.
The guy also reminded about problems with mail. He did not receive a single
letter, telegram or postcard. He says he had to send letters home not thought
the administration, but through his released cell-mates.
