In KGB prison people are still searched and forced to stay outside naked in stretch position

Lawyers are shocked: Zmitser Bandarenka’s recorded telephone conversations were used as evidence against him.

Zmitser Bandarenka was sentenced to a two-year imprisonment in a reformatory of general regime. The delegate of candidate Andrei Sannikov was accused by the Pershamaisky court of Minsk for “organisation and preparation of actions that roughly violate the public order, or an active participation in such actions”. Zmitser’s wife Volga Bandarenka said in an interview to Euroradio she had been prepared for the worst:

“Dzima said he was ready for three years, and he got two. This has not made him happier, but still. Comparing it to the four-year sentences, many people would say it is great!”

Volga came to the trial in the same suit that she had had on 5 years ago at her and Zmitser’s wedding. She said she wanted to show her husband that she will be waiting for him.

According to Bandarenka’s wife, Zmitser briefly mentioned the way he is treated in the prison, “they never stopped searching the prisoners and making them go outside naked and hold a stretch position.” However, the prisoners received medications during the influenza epidemic.

Volga is very concerned with Zmitser’s health, although he looked well during the trial:

“His health has not improved, a neurologist was never invited. And the hernia will not disappear by itself. It is most alarming that without due treatment the disease can progress.”

The human rights activists who are watching the process report breaches of the legal procedure. Ludzmila Graznova is outraged by the fact that Zmitser Bandarenka’s telephone conversations were monitored illegally and then used by the prosecution:

“This is absolutely unacceptable; this is a violation of the Constitution and all legal norms! He was the delegate of presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov.”

The human rights activist remarks that the record of the monitored telephone conversations goes back to 18 September 2010. But that was before the criminal case was initiated, which means that there was no special sanction to monitor telephone conversations, Ludzmila Graznova concludes.

In the court Zmitser Bandarenka admitted that he had walked out to the road of Niezalezhnastsi Avenue following the demonstration, which stopped the traffic. Bandarenka accepted the financial claim of the Minsk Transportation agency Minsktrans and his office has already settled the 159 thousand ruble payment.

But Zmitser does not regard the evening of 19 December a rough violation of the public order.

In his final speech, Bandarenka addressed judge Tatsiana Ravinskaya with the slogan of Andrei Sannikov’s election headquarters: "The history is being made today, the history is being made by us".