Political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich put in penal cell for 20 days

Aliaksandr Frantskevich was visited by his counsel while serving this penalty, which was imposed on him on 19 February.

As said by the counsel to the prisoner's mother, Tatsiana Frantskevich, Aliaksandr keeps alright, he is in a good health, is in quite a good mood. "I used to think that it is cold in the penal cells, but they say that there is heating as well. At present, there are four people there".

Anarchist Aliaksandr Frantskevich was sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment for attacks on buildings of state institutions – he shot his allies on video during such actions. This is already the fourth placement in the penal cell during the prison term. His mother notes that the terms of penalty are increased each time.

"It is the first time he is punished with 20 days in penal cell. Before this, there were ten days, earlier – 7 days. They put him there for more and more time. Maybe, they hint that everything would be yet worse if he refused to sign the clemency petition."

Can people be legally put in the penal cell for more than ten days at once according to the Belarusian legislation? A former political prisoner Mikita Likhavid, activist of an organization dealing with the protection of prisoners' rights, "Platforma", says that ten days is the maximal term for one violation of the prison regime.

"However, if there are several violation reports, one can be put there for 20 days or even more", says Mikita Likhavid, who served his term in the Navapolatsk colony and was placed in the penal cell many times. He recollects that prisoners tried to appeal to the Constitutional Court, asking to limit the maximal term in the penal cell. However, the Constitutional Court answered that citizens had no rights to apply to it.

Political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich, who is serving his term in Ivatsevichy penal colony, has just one kidney. Belarusian human rights defenders are of the opinion that placement of a person with one kidney in the penal cell for such long terms can be equaled to torture.