Autukhovich had to go on hunger strike to receive prosthodontic treatment
2- 2.07.2010, 12:50
The political prisoner was visited by dentists in a detention facility in Minsk.
Radio Svaboda learnt this from political prisoner’s lawyer Pavel Sapelka. According to Sapelka, dentists examined Autukhovich’s teeth and confirmed he needed urgent prosthodontics.
“As a result of the consultation, I was asked to give the address of the clinic where Autukhovich can get prosthodontic treatment. I have visited the clinic today, doctors agree to carry out an operation. I hope the detention facility administration will agree, as they promised, that treatment should be provided by dentists of that clinic,” the lawyer said.
Sapelka didn’t say the name of the clinic. It is only known that the clinic is private where high prices, but public members have already begun to collect money. Human rights activist Aleh Vouchak supposes it won’t take much time to collect the money.
“I think we won’t have problems with financing, we’ll collect the money soon. The main thing is to find a good specialist, the rest is a technical matter,” the human rights activist said.
Entrepreneur from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich is kept in a detention facility in Minsk since February 2009. He has lost most of his teeth during this period, but hasn’t received proper treatment. The administration says the jail in Valadarsakaya Street they don’t have conditions for prosthodontics, but former inmates say jail dentists don’t cure teeth but take them out. In May, Mikalai Autukhovich wrote a letter to the deputy head of the Corrections Department about dental treatment. As Autukhovich knows, the letter even wasn’t sent from the jail. Autukhovich went on hunger strike on June 16 and warned he would start a dry hunger strike in five days if a meeting with a representative of the Corrections Department wasn’t organized. Information about Mikalai Autukhovich’s huger strike went to wide public. Prosecutor Gen4eral of Belarus Ryhor Vasilevich had to send a representative of the prosecutor’s office to meet with Autukhovich.
