Mikalai Autukhovich’s arm paralyzed due to handcuffs

The political prisoner was handcuffed for five hours in the Supreme Court. His arm was seriously injured.

His arm is paralyzed, Radio Svaboda learnt from Mikalai Autukhovich’s lawyer Pavel Sapelka.

“Autukhovich needs to sign an appeal against the verdict, but he cannot move his arm,” the lawyer said.

“The problem Autukhovich cannot write with his right hand. On May 6, all people in the dock were handcuffed for more than 5 hours during the last trial, though the law forbids handcuffing a person for more than two hours. They were handcuffed before the verdict was deliver, remain handcuffed during reading of the verdict and some time after,” Sapelka said.

Mikalai Autukhovich can be transferred to a penal colony to serve his term on any day, the lawyer says. The lawyer and his client received a copy of the verdict. Pavel Sapelka is going to file an appeal against the court decision to the chairman of the Supreme Court.

Uladzimir Asipenka also has problems with health. As his daughter Lyudmila said, Asipenka has a “large bruise on his right wrist from handcuffs”. Uladzimir Asipenka and his family hope for amnesty.

We remind that on May 6, the Supreme Court sentenced Mikalai Autukhovich to 5 years and two months of imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony, Uladizmir Asipenka to 3 years in a standard regime penal colony. Two more accused, the former employee of Autukhovich's firm Alyaksandr Laryn and militia lieutenant colonel Mikhail Kazlou are sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment in a medium security penal colony and 2 years of imprisonment in a standard regime penal colony without a ban to occupy executive positions.