Political prisoner Vasil Parfiankou to be released today
Vasil Parfiankou
The participant of the post-election
protests of 19 December 2010 Vasil Parfiankou is to be released on 9
February. At present he is serving an arrest term in the remand
prison in Baranavichy.
During the electoral campaign-2010
Vasil was an active participant of the civil campaign "Tell The
Truth", was an activist of the electoral team of Uladzimir
Niakliayeu, collected signatures and agitated in his support.
Mr.
Parfiankou was detained on 4 January 2011 in Minsk on suspicion in
relation to the "mass riot" of 19 December 2010. Three days
after the detention he was transferred to the pre-trial prison in
Valadarski street in Minsk as a figurant of a criminal case brought
under Article 293 of the Criminal Code.
On 17 February 2011
the Frunzenski District Court of Minsk sentenced him to 4 years in a
high-security prison. He was serving his term in Orsha. On 17-27 July
he was kept in the penal cell for "violation of the standards of
clothing". On 11 August he was pardoned by Aliaksandr Lukashenka
and released from jail.
However, on 29 May 2012 the judge of
the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk Siarhei Bandarenka sentenced
Vasil Parfiankou to 6 months of arrest under Article 421 of the
Criminal Code, "violation of the regime of preventive
surveillance", established over him on 5 January 2012. The
reason for the establishment of the preventive surveillance was
Vasil's active participation in the socio-political life of the
country.
On 24 July the Minsk City Court dismissed the
cassation appeal of Vasil Parfiankou against the arrest. On 9 August
2012 Vasil Parfiankou was put under arrest.
As noted by human
rights defenders, the question of his release on parole was
considered in December 2012, but Mr. Parfiankou was denied early
released as he "didn't mend his ways and continued violating the
prison regime". During the time of his arrest he wasn't allowed
to phone his relatives even once. They received information about him
only through letters and his counsel.
The release of two more
prisoners, Zmitser Dashkevich and Pavel Seviarynets is expected to
happen this year too.
