Mikalai Autukhovich’s life in danger: he is transferred to prison hospital

Condition of the political prisoner makes impossible his staying in the pre-trial detention center. Mikalai Autukhovich, who has been on hunger strike for more than a month, is transferred to the Republican Hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The human rights center Viasna learnt this from Pavel Sapelka, lawyer of the arrested entrepreneur.

“Today, when I was visiting Mikalai Autukhovich, he was told he would be transferred to the Republican Hospital of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It means that his condition has deteriorated making it impossible to that he could stay in the detention center, even in the medical unit,” Pavel Sapelka said.

According to the lawyer, Mikalai Autukhovich continues his strike in spite of the difficult condition of health and is going to stop it only after his demands are fulfilled.

Pavel Sapelka reminded that Autukhovich demanded changing measure of restraint or sending the case to court as soon as possible.

According to the lawyer, there haven’t been any reactions to the demands of Mikalai Autukhovich: there were no responses to complaints and motions.

It should be reminded that leader of entrepreneurs’ movement from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich has been in the pre-trial detention center since February 8, 2009 on charge of arson in 2005. Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka were also arrested on the same charge.

Stating he is not guilty, he went on hunger strike on April 16. A hungry strike is the only lawful measure in prison to protest against lawlessness and arbitrary of investigative bodies, absence of prosecutor control over the process of the case investigation.

It has been recently known that the investigation of the case of Vaukavysk businessmen was extended till June 3. Relatives of the political prisoners have received no permits for meeting over four months.

Human rights activists consider the detainees to be political prisoners and turn attention to the fact that Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau were convicted before and recognized prisoners of conscience.