Political prisoner Aliaksandr Malchanau appeals his sentence
A lawyer visited Aliaksandr Malchanau in a
detention facility in Zhodzina on 9 July. She said the political prisoner would
appeal against the judgement.
“He has a cold and looks pale, but he feels normal.
Aliaksandr decided to file a supervisory appeal against the judgement after his
cassation appeal was dismissed by the cassation board of the Minsk region court
26 on June and judgement took force. Aliaksandr sends his greetings to everyone
and thanks for support. He waits for a transfer to a penal colony,” Tatsiana Kim, the mother of former political
prisoner Andrei Kim, quotes the
lawyer on Facebook.
Bear in mind that the lawyer was not allowed to see the political prisoner on 5
July because the chief of the Zhodzina detention facility told her documents
from the regional court had not been received.
Aliaksandr Malchanau was sentenced to 18 months in a maximum security penal
colony on 9 April. He was charged with violation of part 2 of Article 205 of
the Criminal Code (a theft committed repeatedly or by a group of people, or a
home-invasion theft). He and Artsiom Ihnatsikau
were accused of stealing scrap metal from the territory of a forging plant in
Zhodzina. The political prisoner claims he did not touch equipment but was just
picking up rusty metal items on the territory of the plant, which hasn't worked
for many years already.
Malchanau could not find a job after a prison term for the events on 19
December 2010. Potential employers did not want to hire him though he earlier
worked for the Machinery and Repair Plant, Hydro-Amplifier Plant, BATE Plant in
Barysau. He had to collect scrap metal to earn his living.
Aliaksandr Malchanau was a “Zubr” activist in the early 2000s. He took part in
the post-election protests on 19 December 2010. He was detained at home in
Barysau on 6 January 2011 and accused of participating in mass disorders
and desecrating the state flag, which he tore down from the KGB building.
In March 2011, Judge of the Frunzenski district court Tatsiana Charkas sentenced Malchanau to 3 years
in a medium security penal colony. He served his term in penal colony #15 in
Mahilou. Later he was granted parole by a presidential decree.
