Ales Byalyatski under pressure in prison

A human rights activist says about pressure he faced in prison.

Ales Byalyatski, jailed head of Viasna human rights centre, wrote in a letter to human rights activist Valyantin Stefanovich:  

“I already had a reprimand and an extra duty. I feel they won't be the last. In general, it turned out I am far from being a good inmate.” Ales Byalyatski's behaviour  cannot be considered good by prison staff because he refuses to recognize his guilt, doesn't belong amatour talent groups and has a reprimand.

Ales Byalyatski's meeting with his wife was reduced from 3 days to one. He allowed to receive food parcels of 15 kg instead of previous 30. The human rights activist was forbidden to get extra 5 kg of fruit in summer.

Valyantin Stefanovich worries that prison authorities try to make a “malicious offender” from Ales ahead of adopting the law on amnesty thus depriving him of an opportunity to be released. In this regard, human rights activists demand the administration of Babruski penal colony No. 2 to stop ungrounded pressure on Ales Byalyatski and remind that the Belarusian community, international organizations and politicians keep a close eye on the situation of Ales Byalyatski.

It should be noted that most of political prisoners have disciplinary sanctions. Mikalai Autukhovich, Mikalai Statkevich and Yauheny Vaskovich were sentenced to stricter confinement conditions; Mikalai Dzyadok was moved to a cell-type facility for 6 months. These measures pursue the only aim to deprive political prisoners of the right to amnesty and early release.