Andrei Haidukou transferred to Mahilou jail

A political prisoner has been transferred from a detention facility in Vitebsk to correctional colony No. 19 in Mahilou.

Andrei Haidukou's relatives learnt it only when they came to give him a parcel, Radio Racyja reports.

“Our relatives in Vitebsk wanted to give him a parcel, but they were told that he was in Mahilou. Neither his parents nor the lawyer were informed about it. We thought he would stay in Vitebsk longer, but he was suddenly transferred to Mahilou,” Maria Haidukova, the political prisoner's sister, said.

On July 1, 2013, Andrei Haidukou was found guilty of violating part 1 of article 14 and article 356-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (attempts to establish contacts with the special services, security bodies or intelligence agencies of a foreign state). He was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison. The verdict was ruled by the Vitebsk regional court.

The trial was held behind closed doors. The 23-year-old worker of Navapolatsk-based plant Naftan was initially charged with attempting a crime (part 1 of article 14) and treason (part 1 of article 356).

Haidukou's family and friends do not believe he was involved in spying. They explain pressure from the KGB by Haidukou's pro-opposition views and his plans to open an international NGO “Union of Young Intellectuals” in Navapolatsk.