Prison censor took away Dashkevich's postcard

A censor of the Hrodna prison, where Young Front leader Zmitser Dashkevich serves his sentence, didn't allow the political prisoner to send a postcard to his friend Eduard Lobau.

Radio Svaboda learnt this from Eudard's mother Maryna Lobava.

“I received a letter from Zmitser Dashkevich. He writes he put a Christmas postcard for Eduard in the envelope. But I didn't find it in the envelope. It means the prison censor took it away. They cannot even congratulate each other. Dashkevich put postcards for my son in envelopes when he was in the penal colony in Hlybokaye. He congratulated him on his birthday from Hronda, and the postcard was delivered. But the Christmas postcard was not allowed. Censorship became stricter at Christmas,” political prisoner's mother Maryna Lobava concludes.

Eduard Lobau serves 4-year sentence in the penal colony in Ivatsevichy. Zmitser Dashkevich was transferred from penal colony in Mozyr to prison in Hrodna a month ago as a persistent violator of prison rules. Both activists were tried for alleged disorderly conduct. The incident occurred a day before the 2010 presidential elections. Dashkevich was to be released this December, but his sentence was extended by a year in August for failure to obey prison staff.