Political prisoners kept behind bars for 5 months

One of the prisoners of conscience Mikalai Autukhovich continues a hunger strike of protest for 54 days.

Leaders of entrepreneurs from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich, Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka were detained on February 8, 2009. On February 18 they were presented charged under Article 218 of the Criminal Code (voluntary waste or damage of property). Human rights activists recognize the detained political prisoners as Prisoners of Conscience, attracting attention to the fact that Autukhovich and Lyavonau were previously convicted and recognized prisoners of conscience by the international community.

On June 2 investigation in the case of Vaukavysk entrepreneurs was extended by a sanction of Minsk prosecutor for another month.

By announcing the hunger strike, Autukhovich demands to pass the case to the court or to change the measure of restraint for all parsons on remand to a written undertaking not to leave the place.

As the BelaPAN is informed by a human rights activist Aleh Vouchak, there is no information about any progress of this case so far. “We know only one thing, that investigators asked the prosecutor’s office to extend the investigation in the case for two more months, but the prosecutor’s office has extended it only for one month. To my mind, it is a proof that so far the investigation and prosecutor’s office have no certain decision on the future of the accused,” Vouchak said.

As said by the human rights activist, Autukhovich is set to continue the hunger strike. “All our requests to him to stop the protest remain unanswered. I addressed with such a request to him via the lawyer, as well as the leader of the Republican public association of disabled veterans of Afghan War Alyaksandr Kamarouski. Autukhovich pays no heed to our arguments so far,” Vouchak said.

According to the latest reports, Autukhovich has lost 25 kg of weight. He is kept in the medical unit of the remand prison.