14.09.2012 Ales Bialiatski seeks meeting with priest

The imprisoned Viasna leader Ales Bialiatski is still deprived of a possibility to have a meeting with a Roman Catholic priest, says Babruisk civil activist Siarhei Latsinski, quoting a letter received from the human rights defender.

13.09.2012 UN Human Rights Committee registers complaint by Valiantsin Stefanovich

The UN Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint submitted by deputy chairman of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Valiantsin Stefanovich. The complaint deals with extremely poor detention conditions the human rights defender was subjected to during his arrest back in 2010.

22.08.2012 Mikalai Autukhovich has meeting with relatives for first time this year

They were allowed to have a 1.5-hour phone conversation through the glass barrier.

“It's only called a meeting,” Autukhovich says, “We were not allowed to touch or kiss each other. You cannot do anything. It will go away, but memories will live in your soul forever. I don't doubt the guilty people will answer one day for this ordeal... My term expires in less than 20 months.”

22.08.2012 Alena Kavalenka complains about jailers to the prosecutor's office

Information about the health of Siarhei Kavalenka is being hidden from his wife.

Alena Kavalenka wants the prosecutor's office to check the legality of jailers' actions, who in July punished her husband Siarhei Kavalenka with a punishment cell, reports "Radio Svaboda".

21.08.2012 Does Article 441 of the Criminal Code implement its function in penal colonies?

Article 441 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, “Malignant insubordination to the administration of the correctional facility which executes the punishment in the form of deprivation of liberty” is a reliable means to exercise pressure and “re-educate” prisoners, used by the administration of the Belarusian penal colonies. However, does this article really implement the functions which were given to it by the legislators?

20.08.2012 Political prisoner Prakapenka goes on hunger strike in punishment cell

Artsiom Prakapenka, political prisoner serving his 7-year sentence in the penal colony of Mahiliou, has declared a hunger strike after he had been placed in a punishment cell on 15 August, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.

20.08.2012 Syarhey Kavalenka Placed in Prison's Medical Unit

It happened after the political prisoner had spent 16 days in a disciplinary cell.

31.07.2012 Prison administration refuses to change Statkevich`s custody status to less restrictive

The administration of Mahilyow Prison No. 4 has rejected Mikalay Statekevich’s appeal to change his custody status to less restrictive, Maryna Adamovich, the wife of the 55-year-old former presidential candidate, told BelaPAN on Tuesday, referring to a recent letter from her husband.

26.07.2012 Imprisoned Zmitser Dashkevich transferred to medical unit with pneumonia

Zmitser Dashkevich, chairperson of Malady Front, has been diagnosed with single pneumonia and transferred to the medical unit of Correctional Institution No. 13 in Hlybokaye, Vitsyebsk region, Anastasiya (Nasta) Palazhanka, deputy chairperson of the opposition youth organization, told BelaPAN on Wednesday.

25.07.2012 Political prisoners in jails on verge of new sentences

The scope of means used by those who are entrusted with the fate of prisoners includes plenty of methods that look legitimate and are aimed at making the conviction life-long. Such a disappointing conclusion has been voiced by human rights lawyer Pavel Sapelka following the analysis of the provisions of Article 411 of the Criminal Code – “Deliberate disobedience to the correctional institution administration that executes the sentence of imprisonment.”

24.07.2012 Byalyatski still considered “malicious offender”

The office of the Corrections Department in the Mahilou region sent an answer to the complaint filed to the Department of Corrections of Belarus.

Radio Svaboda learned this from Natallya Pinchuk, the wife of political prisoner Ales Bylyatski.

23.07.2012 Prison administration harasses Frantskevich through threats to other inmates

Activist of the anarchist movement Aliaksandr Frantskevich has been subjected to harassment from the administration of penal colony No. 22 in the town of Ivatsevichy, as other inmates have received threats and reprimands for communicating with the political prisoner.

19.07.2012 Jail officers accept medicines for environmental activist Novikava

Officers of the detention center on Akrestsina Street in Minsk accepted Thursday medicines for environmental activist Tatsyana Novikava, who had her thyroid gland removed.

16.07.2012 Alinevich thrown into punishment cell for two weeks

Anarchist Ihar Alinevich “is inclined to violent behaviour and is likely to escape”, the administration of the penal colony in Navapolatsk thinks.

Ihar said it to his mother Valyantina Alinevich in a phone conversation on July 14. It was his third telephone call in the last 12 months.

28.06.2012 Statkievich Held in Solitary Confinement

Details remain unknown.