Bandarenka: No post-operative rehab in prison

Political prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka is expected to be transferred to a penal colony soon, but his health is still in danger.

On August 17, the coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign was discharged from Minsk hospital Nr 5 after a serious spine surgery (his bilateral hernia of intervertebral disk was removed) and sent back to the Interior Ministry's detention facility in Valadarski Street. The political prisoner will be sent to penal colony Nr 15 in Mahilou to serve his sentence.

The political prisoner has recently sent a letter to his wife. As one can conclude from his words, there's no post-operative rehabilitation in the prison hospital. Moreover, he had a complication after the surgery – leg abscess.

“Well, I am in the old place. I was transported lying on my side, it's safer. But I felt my back all the same. I imagine if I had been transported on the third day after the surgery...

...When they decided to expose the abscess, I had to go to a surgeon on foot and wait a rather long time standing. After 20 minutes my left leg became numb and I felt back pain. Everyone says it's only the beginning of rehabilitation and I must be very careful...

...I can lie on a firm bed. A shield has been made today specially for me. I have been for the second day here, but haven't talked to prison or hospital authorities yet. My finger was bound up, there was a lot of pus, but pain reduced. I get injections and take pills. I've read the discharge summary. Of course, implementing these conditions here, in Belarus, is a problem, what to speak about prison. I feel slight pain in back, because I am not in ideal conditions of the 5th hospital – I had to move, though I should not do it. I am quiet and cheerful. I do not think what will be tomorrow. It can be one way, or another. I read Shcharynski's favourite psalm: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.“

The political prisoner also wrote about the release of some of people convicted in the case of December 19.

“I've learnt about the 'pardoned'. I am happy that less people remain in prisons. People should not live in these conditions. But I do not believe in 'normal' release. Hostages need to be sold. They press on a person, and then made him demean himself...God sees everything! It's good that they began to distinguish Sannikov and Stakevich from the others. The West will expect them to be released. I am happy for the people freed. What a pity that Andrei Pratasenya has not been released. He is from Serabranka city district, I shared a cell with him. He enjoys bungee jumping, speaks English fluently, graduated from school a gold medal. He is a very interesting guy. He is a student of the faculty of applied mathematics of the Belarusian State University, worked as programmer, but wants to turn to non-traditional medicine.”

The wife of the political prisoner worries how Zmitser Bandarenka will survive the transfer to the colony:

“I cannot imagine how Dzima will survive this three-hour transfer, even if he will lie. He felt back pain even 20 minutes after he had been discharged from hospital. I read doctor's recommendations: magnet therapy, physical exercises while lying down, leg massage, medicines. He gets only medicines, in other words he does not have any rehabilitation!” Volha Bandarenka told charter97.org website.