It is torture

A Ukrainian expert Andriy Rokhansky had made a conclusion on the state of health of the Belarusian political prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka.

Zmitser Bandarenka is an electioneering agent of Andrei Sannikov, a presidential candidate, was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for participation in a protest rally against rigged results of the presidential election on December 19. 2010, and he is serving the sentence in Mahilyou penal colony IK-15.

The expert examination was held basing upon the medical documents issued to Bandarenka, including the of the spinal surgery report, protivpytok.org web-site informs.

Among the things prescribed for Zmitser Bandarenka are: after-care under the observation of neurologist is advised; bending, sitting, twists of the spine, lifting of any load more than 4 kilograms are to be excluded; remedial gymnastics, leg massage and other procedures should be used. Such conditions could not be offered in the penal colony naturally.

According to the statement of Andriy Rokhansky, persons with such a state of health are considered disabled persons of second category in Ukraine.

“The complex of the mentioned medical data demonstrated that a medical and social expert examination should be held for Zmitser Bandarenka, and the degree of his disablement should be defined…

Failure to offer special medical remedial means of medical equipment (orthopedic shoes, a walking stick) can be regarded as torture and cruel treatment,” the expert opinion reads.

Andriy Rokhansky is a lawyer, a doctor (Ph.D. in medical sciences), a coordinator of a public association the Institute of Legal Research and Strategies, Ukraine.

The request to hold an expert examination had been made by a Belarusian initiative “Human Rights Watchdogs against Torture.”