News on the topic: political prisoners
22.09.2011 Statkevich’s wife reports torture in prison
According to the partner wife of former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, the imprisoned politician has been repeatedly subjected to inhuman treatment while serving his term at Shklou penal colony, the BelaPAN news agency reports.
22.09.2011 Maira Mora: President assured - release of political prisoners will go on
Renewal of the dialogue between Belarus and the EU is possible only after release and rehabilitation of all political prisoners.
21.09.2011 UN Human Rights Council: Release political prisoners immediately
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released its recommendations in human rights sector to the Belarusian authorities.
21.09.2011 Dashkevich transferred to another colony due to his complaints
Representatives of the Department on serving punishments do not exclude that he may file a request for pardon.
21.09.2011 Andrej Sannikau transferred to another colony
The ex-presidential candidate has been transferred from the Navapolatsk correctional colony to the similar institution in Babruisk.
20.09.2011 BCD activist Vaskovich threatened with another criminal case
Yauhen Vaskovich, member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, is facing one more criminal prosecution for alleged disobeying the penal colony’s inner regulations, the BCD press-service reports, quoting the wife of another convict in so called “anarchists’ case” Mikalai Dziadok, Valerya Khotsina.
16.09.2011 Health of Zmitser Bandarenka deteriorated
The wife of the political prisoner, Volha Bandarenka, has seen her husband in the penal colony.
15.09.2011 Political prisoners are threatened with rape
Political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich his daughter on 14 September. The daughter of imprisoned presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich says that it was the first time when her father could talk to her since his arrest on 19 December 2010.
14.09.2011 Third wave of pardoned figurants of 19 December events
Human rights defenders are trying to find the surnames of the 11 political prisoners who have been pardoned by Lukashenka’s order today: Aliaksandr Atroshchankau, Dzmitry Bulanau, Aleh Fedarkevich, Aliaksandr Klaskouski, Mikita Likhavid, Uladzimir Loban, Aliaksandr Malchanau, Fiodar Mirzayanau, Dzmitry Novik, Illia Vasilevich and Pavel Vinahradau.
14.09.2011 Estonia urges Belarus to free political prisoners
Estonia expresses concern about human rights violations and the lack of democracy and rule of law in Belarus, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said.
14.09.2011 Mahiliou: authorities ban action of solidarity with political prisoners
Representatives of the democratic movement in Mahilou failed to get permission to hold a rally to support political prisoners.
13.09.2011 Political prisoner Zmitser Dashkevich goes on hunger-strike
On 13 September Zmitser Dashkevich, a prominent political activist imprisoned for two years on fabricated charges, had a meeting with his lawyer in penal colony #9 in Horki. The lawyer came there to take part in the court proceedings concerning the change of the prison regime to Dashkevich to keeping in a closed prison.
13.09.2011 Baranavichy authorities ban picket in support of political prisoners
As it follows from a letter signed by Dz. Kastsiukevich, Deputy Chair of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee, on 13 September the committee prohibited civil activist Ryhor Hryk from holding a picket in support of political prisoners.
13.09.2011 Zmitser Shurkhai tried in absentia for picket in support of Zmitser Dashkevich
As it became known on 13 September, on 25 August Judge Chaplyhina had tried the Brest-based civil activist Zmitser Shurkhai in his absence. She found him guilty of participation in the picket in Horki and sentenced him to 10 days of arrest. The day he spent in the remand prison in Horki had been included in this term.
13.09.2011 Authorities refuse to mitigate punishment to Zmitser Bandarenka
The political prisoner remains in prison, though he has the right to softer punishment. Zmitser Bandarenka, the coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, has the right to apply for changing his punishment since 20 August due to serving one third of his sentence. The case of the political prisoner was considered by the commission for release on parole and change of punishment.
