Mikalai Autukhovich suspends hunger strike

The political prisoner can resume the strike at any moment, he doesn’t exclude it may be a dry hunger strike.

Vaukavysk entrepreneur Mikalai Autukhovich suspended his hunger strike he had declared in detention facility #1 in Minsk. BelaPAN learnt this from lawyer Pavel Sapelka.

Autukhovich went on hunger strike on June 16. He has in vain been demanding to render him medical aid. He needs denture treatment. The prisoner demanded a meting with deputy head of the medical unit of the Interior Ministry’s corrections department.

According to Sapelka, the first stage of Autukhovich’s demands was met. “The colony administration fulfilled its promise and organized a meeting with the corrections department’s official responsible for medical services. The meeting was held on June 22. It was arranged that Autukhovich will be visited by a specialist within two days, who will examine him to find out whether prosthetic treatment is possible,” the lawyer said.

He thinks Autukhovich can receive necessary medical aid only in Minsk. “Autukhovich should stay in the capital for treatment. If it is not happened, if he is transferred to a penal colony, he won’t be able to get full-scale aid. In this case Autukhovich may resume his hunger strike. I don’t exclude it will be a dry hunger strike,” Sapelka said.

As human rights activist Aleh Vouchak said, Autukhovich may be transferred to another facility from the detention center #1 for treatment. “The dentist’s room in the detention center was closed down two years ago as useless. So Autukhovich will be transferred to somewhere,” Vouchak noted.

In his view, Autukhovich’s hunger strike helps to solve his own problems and also problems of all prisoners, about 37,000 people. “There are many people kept in prisons for 10 or 15 years, who cannot receive the same medical aid as Autukhovich. That’s why his hunger strike is very important for them,” Vouchak said.

On May 6, the Supreme Court sentenced Autukhovich to five years and two months in a medium security penal colony. He was found guilty of carrying and possessing five hunting rifle cartridges.

Human rights activists regard Autukhovich and other convicted Vaukavysk entrepreneurs political prisoners. They also point out serious procedural violations recorded during the trial.

Mikalai Autukhovich, 47, has been on hunger strikes several times. His latest strike lasted from April 16 to July 16, 2009. Autukhovich lost 35 kilograms of weight.