Syarhei Parsyukevich shares ward with mentally ill people

Syarhei Parsyukevich has been in the medical unit in the Zhodzina penal colony since 21 May. The political prisoner shares a ward with mentally ill people.

Natallya, wife of the political prisoner has learnt it from her husband’s letter. According to her, Syarhei is sorry for he got to the medical unit, because he doesn’t receive any medical aid. Natallya quotes the letter:

“He writes, they do not treat him. “I visited a doctor. She examined my lungs, took a specimen of blood. I think I have noting to do here. The doctor says if results are good, I will be discharged tomorrow. God willing.”

Sayrhei Parsyukevich suffers from asthma. He needs a polypectomy operation, but this operation can be performed only in the republican prison hospital. Sayrhei Parsyukevich was put in ward 114 in the medical unit of the Zhodzina penal colony. The prisoner compares it with ward 6 from the same-name story by Chekhov. “The parallel is true, because Syarhei shares the ward with mentally ill people,” Natallya Parsyukevich told to Radio Svaboda.

“I can watch the other patients. It is rather interesting sometimes. One writes poetry, and tells lots of interesting things. Sometimes he talks to himself. Another begins to worry when someone eats. He is always hungry. He has been living here for 9 months, waiting until he is taken to a mental hospital. He has no documents, however, he doesn’t need them, because he can’t read. A third one likes to wash everything – walls, floor, table, everything. A forth one wants to give himself up, but he doesn’t known for what. The rest two are rather calm until they quarrel.” Such a company he has. So, I think he may have been put there purposefully. They said, you wanted to get to a medical unit, you is ill, then go, enjoy it,” the political prisoner’s wife tells.

Sayrhei Parsyukevich has recently had his 41st birthday in prison. He writes in his letters he is grateful to everyone, who has congratulated him and supported him in this very hard time of his life. “He wrote these letters were like a breath of freedom and hope,” Natallya Parsyukevich says.

Sayrhei Parsyukevich is sentenced by the Maskouski district court of Minsk to 2 ½ years in penal colony for beating of a militiamen. He allegedly beat a guard in the Minsk prison on Akrestin Street, where he had been thrown in after a rally on entrepreneurs on 10 January. Syarhei Parsyukevich didn’t admit his guilt and appealed against the sentence. The appeal of the entrepreneur is to be heard in the Minsk city court on 30 May.