Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich on hunger strike for 8 days
3- 23.04.2009, 16:26
The arrested businessman from Vaukavysk is on protest hunger strike in the pre-trial detention center.
On April 16, leader of entrepreneurs Mikalai Autukhovich went on hunger strike in the Minsk pre-trial detention center. He demands that the investigation should be carried out as soon as possible or the measure of restrain be changed. Mikalai Autukhovich pleads not guilty and demands that the case should be sent from the Ministry of Internal Affaires to the General Prosecutor’s Office for investigation. The political prisoner finds all accusations absurd.
The lawyer Pavel Sapyolka doesn’t know anything about state of health of Mikalai Autukhovich. He was going to visit the businessman on Friday.
It should be reminded that Vaukavysk Yury Lyavonau, Mikalai Autukovich, and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8. Their detention and search in their flats were authorized by the prosecutor of the Hrodna region. On February 18, the three businessmen were charged under article 218 of the Criminal Code (intentional destruction or damage to property of citizens).
Human rights activists regard the detainees political prisoners drawing attention to the fact M. Autukhovich and Y. Lyavonau were thrown into prison earlier and recognized prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International.
