Deputy prosecutor general: Statkevich was treated rather softly

Aliaksei Stuk thinks former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich, who was recently transferred to a stricter prison, was treated “rather softly”.

“I don't think this is revenge of the prison administration that he was transferred to a stricter prison again,” Stuk said. “He refused to fulfil any legal orders of prison staff – work, obey prison rules and so on.

Stuk noted that laws provide for prosecution and prolonging a term of imprisonment for failure to fulfil legal orders of prison staff. “Statkevich was treated rather softly. He wasn't prosecuted, but confinement conditions for him were toughened,” Stuk said.

The opposition politician was tried in correctional facility in Shklou No.17 on May 4. It was decided to transfer him to a stricter prison until the end of his term (about a year and seven months).

Mikalai Statkevich is the only presidential candidate in the 2010 elections who is still in jail. He was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment in a medium security correctional facility on 26 May 2011. He was sent to a correctional facility in Shklou on June 12. On 12 January 2012, confinement conditions for Statkevich were strengthened. He was transferred to a stricter prison for three years. He returned to Shklou on 12 January 2015. The politician was tried again for violating prison rules and refusal to fulfil orders of the prison authorities. The EU called the decision to transfer Statkevich to the stricter prison “deplorable”.