News on the topic: detention conditions
05.03.2013 Critical Situation for Political Prisoners in Belarus and Freedom for 40 Activists Considerably Restricted
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Belarusian member organization, Human Rights Center Viasna, are outraged at the large-scale and systematic acts of repression being inflicted upon both political prisoners and individuals whose freedom has been restricted for political reasons. It hereby releases a document detailing this repression and calls upon the regime to cease its oppressive behavior.
25.01.2013 Andrei Haidukou’s mother worried about counsel’s limited access to her son
Independent media coverage of the so-called “spying case” of Andrei Haidukou gives hope for his release, says the mother of the 23-year-old operator of Navapolatsk-based “Naftan” oil refinery, accused of “treason through intelligence activities.”
26.12.2012 Political prisoner Aliaksandr Frantskevich in solitary confinement for third time this year
Tatsiana Frantskevich, mother of the imprisoned anarchist, is going to Ivatsevichy colony together with a lawyer to learn about her son’s health. Aliaksandr Frantskevich has only one kidney, and his mother is afraid that being held in a punishment cell could harm his physical condition.
18.12.2012 Prisoner Mikalay Statkevich Does Not Receive “Novy Chas” Newspaper
The editorial office of the newspaper Novy Chas (New Times) struggles for the right of the political prisoner to get the independent newspaper.
23.11.2012 Andrei Haidukou can’t receive medicines and letters in prison
Andrei Haidukou, resident of Navapolatsk, has been in the KGB detention center since November 8, facing criminal charges "for treason to the state through intelligence activities." Andrei’s parents and friends cannot believe that he could be involved in spying, his detention in Vitsebsk being a total surprise to them.
16.11.2012 Political prisoner Vaskovich cannot receive books in prison
Yuheny Vaskovich wrote it in a letter to his grandmother.
16.11.2012 Zmitser Dashkevich placed in solitary confinement
A political prisoner had a meeting with his lawyer in a prison in Hrodna.
29.10.2012 Letters to Mikalai Statkevich blocked
According to Leanid Haravy, activist of the For Freedom opposition movement, his letter to political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich did not reach the penal colony. The activist received a postcard saying that the “letter did not pass censorship”, instead.
26.10.2012 Letters from Statkevich: Political prisoner still cheerful, despite endless pressure by prison administration
For weeks, Maryna Adamovich, the wife of former candidate for president Mikalai Statkevich, had not received letters from her husband. But yesterday came two letters at once.
24.10.2012 Vasil Parfiankou faces punishment cell
Opposition activist Vasil Parfiankou, currently serving his sentence in a penal colony in Baranavichy, may be placed in a punishment cell, after he received a reprimand from the prison administration, says his friend Volha, quoting a recent letter from the prisoner.
24.10.2012 Where do letters to Vaskovich disappear?
After repeated complaints of Yauhen Vaskovich on him not receiving letters his friends and colleagues from Babruisk decided to have a peculiar check.
22.10.2012 Vaskovich has been receiving letters only from relatives for half a year
According to the information form the press-sevice of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Anatol Sanatsenka received a letter from the journalist of his newspaper Yauhen Vaskovish, who is now in the prison number 4 in Mahiliou. This is the first piece of news from the political prisoner for almost two years that he has spent in an isolation ward, colony and prison.
19.10.2012 Ales Bialiatski faces restrictions on medical parcels
The imprisoned leader of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatski is facing obstacles in receiving parcels with medicines at penal colony No. 2 in Babruisk, Radio Racyja reports, quoting the human rights defender’s wife Natallia Pinchuk.
18.10.2012 Why did arrestee die in Minsk pre-trial prison’s hospital?
As part of the monitoring of the penitentiary system carried out by the Human Rights Center "Viasna", human rights defenders keep receiving letters in which prison inmates provide specific evidence of human rights violations against people in custody and serving sentences, including allegations of torture, and other evidence of inhumane treatment to prisoners.
03.10.2012 Amnesty International: Activist threatened with rape and torture
Activist and prisoner of conscience Zmitser Dashkevich is being threatened with rape and torture in a penal colony in Mazyr, south-west Belarus, where he was transferred after his sentence on 28 August for allegedly violating prison rules entered into force.
