News on the topic: detention conditions
20.05.2015 Leanid Kulakou: “I called it the torture cell”
Leanid Kulakou, an activist of the European Belarus opposition movement, has told the Human Rights Center “Viasna” about the conditions of detention in the Smaliavičy-based jail, where he recently served 7 days of administrative arrest.
18.05.2015 House of Representatives: No reasons to decriminalize Article 411
Liudmila Mikhalkova, Chairperson of the Standing Commission on legislation of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly replied to Viasna’s letter concerning possible abolition of Article 411 of the Criminal Code.
18.05.2015 Mikalai Statkevich: "I do not aspire to be a hero, but I want to be a decent man”
On May 16, Bialyničy journalist Barys Vyrvich received a letter from political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich who is held in the Mahilioŭ-based prison No. 4. In his letter, the former presidential candidate told about the conditions of his detention at the new place of imprisonment.
30.04.2015 Human rights defender denied opportunity to visit prisons
Human rights activist and freelance journalist Leanid Svetsik was going to write a series of articles about the conditions of detention of persons held in prisons and detention centers of the Viciebsk region. He sent more than a dozen requests in these facilities asking for permission to visit them. But none of these requests has been granted.
28.04.2015 Mikalai Statkevich to stand trial in prison on May 4
The trial of political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich, who is currently held in a penal colony in Škloŭ, will start on May 4, according to a post on his wife’s account on Facebook. The former presidential candidate may be transferred to prison with maximum security.
27.04.2015 Salihorsk court turns down activist’s claim for moral damage compensation
Deputy Chair of the Salihorsk District Court Ala Trafimchuk has dismissed the suit of local activist of the European Belarus opposition movement Uladzimir Lemesh asking to compensate for non-pecuniary damage caused to him by the department of internal affairs of the Salihorsk district executive committee.
24.04.2015 Interior Ministry uses family visits as means of repression
Comparing prison rules in Belarus and those in other former Soviet countries, Pavel Sapelka, an expert in the Belarusian prison system, came to the conclusion that this comparison is not in favor of Belarusian prisoners.
19.04.2015 Political prisoner Artsiom Prakapenka denied pardon
On April 17, political prisoner Artsiom Prakapenka phoned his family from the Mahilioŭ prison and said that he had been shown a response from the commission for pardon that rejected his request without explanation. Artsiom Prakapenka says he was not allowed to have a copy of the document.
18.04.2015 Political prisoner Yauhen Vaskovich not allowed to receive books
On April 17, political prisoner Yauhen Vaskovich was visited by his mother, father and grandmother. They brought him food stuffs and hygiene products, as well as a Belarusian translation of the Bible. Earlier, the prisoner was punished with solitary confinement for refusing to give the Bible to prison staff.
25.03.2015 Convict Piotr Kuchura urges Mahiliou Prosecutor to “have the courage”
Piotr Kuchura urges Mahiliou Prosecutor to react to a failure to launch a timely probe into his poisoning in penal colony No. 15, which made it impossible to punish the perpetrators.
24.03.2015 Ales Bialiatski: Open letter by political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok reveals the terrible truth
The head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" commented on his Facebook public page on the appeal published today by political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok.
24.03.2015 Mikalai Dziadok: "I want to be the last convict under Article 411 of the Criminal Code"
The Human Rights Center "Viasna" published an open letter by political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok, who draws attention to the gross violations of the rights of those held in prisons, disadvantages and throw-backs of correctional institutions, as well as unfair punishment under Article 411 of the Criminal Code.
19.03.2015 Foreign Ministry: “Prisoners’ complaints are carefully considered”
The authors’ statement on the possibility for prisoners in Belarus to challenge the illegal actions of prison staff deserves a full quote, as the mentioned statistics characterize the effectiveness of this procedure.
24.02.2015 Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou files suit to abolish forced labor for convicts
Political prisoner Yury Rubtsou has lodged a lawsuit with the District Court in Pruzhany asking to amend the internal regulations of correctional facilities, which provide for compulsory labor for prisoners in open-type penal colonies, including unpaid community work. The jailed opposition activist has also sent a petition to the Constitutional Court.
19.02.2015 Ales Bialiatski: Prison system totally rotten, no political will to reform it
The leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and former political prisoner Ales Bialiatski is critical of the conclusions voiced by his colleagues from the organization Platforma Innovation following a series of inspections carried out in the country’s prisons and detention facilities, Radio Liberty’s Belarus service reports.
