36th day of hunger strike: Political prisoner Autukhovich returned to detention center

Doctors of the Republican Hospital of the Corrections Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs found the entrepreneur from Vaukavysk healthy though the latter loses 3 kilos of weight every day.

He spent only two days in hospital, Radio Svaboda reports.

Mikalai Autukhovich was taken to hospital on May 19. A prison doctor told political prisoner’s relatives next day Mikalai Autukhovich didn’t need additional treatment and allegedly asked to return him to the detention center.

On May 21, a duty officer in the pre-trial detention center #1 in Valadarski Street told Autukhovich had already returned to the facility and had been taken to a medical unit. The duty officer said he didn’t know anything about condition of the Vaukavysk entrepreneur. He only knew Mikalai Autukhovich went on his hunger strike.

Pavel Sapelka, lawyer of the Vaukavysk businessman, states Autukhovich looks tired and weak.

“He says he loses three kilos of weight every day and looks very thin,” the lawyer said.

On May 20, an attempt of human rights activists Valyantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich to give a parcel to Autukhovich failed. The parcel contained drinking water, medicines for kidney, and toothpaste. A duty officer as well as head of the prison hospital special unit refused to pass it on.

Opposition representatives think the authorities are persecuting Mikalai Autukhovich on political grounds.

Chairman of the BPF party Lyavon Barshcheuski reminds that Mikalai Autukhovich supported democratic organizations in Vaukavysk in elections to the “house of representatives” in 2004.

“Some people say he is not a politician, I think it’s wrong,” Barshcheuski says. “In 2004, he opposed against the system. In our country, if a person opposes against the system once, the authorities regard him or her as a potential enemy. That’s why I don’t take arguments he is only an entrepreneur, not a politician.”

It should be reminded that arrested businessman Mikalai Autukhovich has been on hunger strike since April 16. The political prisoner protests against criminal prosecution and against the fact his case is not being investigated. Autukhovich demands either to send his case to court or to release him on his own recognizance. The political prisoner also demands to release Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka, figurants of the same case.

The investigation of the case of entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk was extended till June 3. Relatives of the political prisoners haven’t received any permit to visit them for four months.

Human rights activists consider the detained to be political prisoners drawing attention to the fact Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau were convicted before and recognized prisoners of conscience. Relatives and lawyers of the arrested note the political prisoners are not involved in investigative actions.