KGB jail prisoner Zmitser Bandarenka almost immobilized

The political prisoner hardly can move his leg, and problems with internal organs functioning have developed.

Today Volha Bandarenka, the wife of Zmitser Bandarenka, “European Belarus” civil initiative coordinator and an electioneering agent of the presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, has received a new letter from him from the KGB jail.

“Zmitser has written that because of severe vertebral pain and gradual immobilization he needs a consultation of a neurologist urgently,” Volha Bandarenka told to charter97.org website.

A year ago Zmitser Bandarenka was in hospital #5 in Minsk, where he was to be operated for hernia of intervertebral disk, which had caused a partial leg paresis. He had a course of blocks and treatment. At his discharge from the hospital doctors said that there is a hope for leg’s completely recovery, however he must undergo several hospitalizations, course of blocking and physical therapy. All doctors warned that in case problems with functioning of pelvic organs occur, and reflexes of the leg would not return in 8-9 months, he should see a neurosurgeon and be operated, the wife told.

Before the arrest Zmitser Bandarenka planned to be officially registered as a person with permanent disability. Now he writes from the KGB jail that “I cannot see a neurologist, the motor function of the leg has not been restored, but deteriorated further. Besides, problems with pelvic organs’ functioning have developed.”

Now Volha Bandarenka is pushing for the hospital #5 of Minsk to officially send a medical report about her husband’s stay in the hospital, about the diagnosis, the results of tests and magnetic resonance imaging, courses of treatment and so on.

“Earlier we sent a hospital discharge list with epicrisis of Zmitser’s disease, when we appealed against the measure of restraint in Minsk city court, however this seems to be lacking for my husband to be examined in prison by a medical specialist,” Volha Bandarenka said.