Appeal to International Red Cross to save Zmitser Bandarenka

The state of health of the political prisoner causes serious concerns.

An appeal has been sent to the headquarters of the International Red Cross in Geneva asking to turn attention to the situation with a failure to provide proper medical treatment to Zmitser Bandarenka, coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, sentenced to 2 years in a minimum security penal colony for taking part in the December 19 demonstration. The political prisoner is in the republican prison hospital located on the territory of the Interior Ministry’s prison in Valadarski Street in Minsk. Treatment of a seriously ill person cannot be considered sufficient in these conditions.

Dear Sir/ Madam

I am writing to bring to your attention the denial of medical treatment to Dzmitry Bandarenka and request your urgent assistance regarding the circumstances of his ongoing detention.

Mr. Bandarenka(28.09.1963) is a journalist, civil society leader, and member of the political opposition in Belarus. During the 2010 elections in Belarus, Mr. Bandarenka served as a primary advisor to opposition presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov. After the presidential polls closed on December 19, 2010, tens of thousands of Belarusian citizens gathered to demonstrate in downtown Minsk. After a small group of unknown individuals away from the main crowed attempted to enter a government building, police violently dispersed the demonstration, severely beating many people and arresting about 2000 people, including seven opposition candidates.

Authorities arrested Mr. Bandarenka at his home in Minsk on December 20, 2010 and was detained at a State Security Agency (KGB) remand facility in Minks. There have been numerous reports, from those that have been released from custody, of torture and cruel and degrading treatment.

His wife has seen him first time in April. Lawyers access was very restricted. He was seen by the lawyers during the interrogations but was not allowed to communicated with them. First time he had proper legal assistance, i.e seen his lawyer on his own and could talk to them was on the 26th of March

He is currently held at the remand prison on Valadarski Street in Minsk.

Charged with organizing or participating in actions that breach the public order under Article 342, Mr. Bandarenka was sentenced to two years in prison. After his arrest, Mr. Bandarenka experienced a serious injury to his spinal cord, later determined to be a number of herniated intervertebral disks and spinal nerve entrapments. Mr. Bandarenka suffers from longstanding four herniated intervertebral disks and three spinal nerve entrapments.

However, for five months the Belarusian State Security Agency (KGB) did not allow Mr. Bandarenka to meet with a specialist. Although the Interior Affairs Ministry finally allowed Mr. Bandarenka to meet with a neurologist—who diagnosed the problem and indicated that Mr. Bandarenka urgently needs surgery — there is no indication that will actually receive this essential treatment.

After visiting with Mr. Bandarenka, his wife, Volha Bandarenka, indicated that his “foot is literally hanging immoveably,” and that he could become paralyzed. However, there is no indication that Mr. Bandarenka will receive the urgently needed surgery.

Mr. Bandarenka is a prominent member the Belarusian civil society and is affiliated with organizations that are critical of the government’s human rights record. “European Belarus,” a civil campaign group where Mr. Bandarenka is a coordinator, seeks to promote the integration of Belarus into the European Union. Charter ’97, an organization that Mr. Bandarenka co-founded, maintains one of the main independent Internet resources that was attacked and destroyed over night on December 19, 2010.

Like his arbitrary detention, it is believed that Mr. Bandarenka’s torture is punishment for his legitimate and peaceful political and civil society activities.

We are asking you to do everything in your power to provide adequate medical care for Dmitri .

Thank you for your urgent assistance

Sincerely,

Dr. Irina Bogdanova, sister of Andrei Sannikov and leader of FreeBelarusNow!

Volha Bandarenka, wife of Dzmitser Bandarenka and co-iniator of Vyzvalenne Civil Initiative

Yulia Bandarenka, daughter of Dzmitser Bandarenka

Natalia Kaliada and Nikolai Khalezin, Founders of the Belarus Free Theatre

Irina Krasovskaya, President of We Remember Foundation

On behalf of Free Belarus Now and Vyzvalenne Civil Initiative

Free Belarus Now is a coalition of friends, family and supporters of the political prisoners of Belarus, victims of Alexander Lukashenko, “Europe’s last dictator”.

Vyzvalenne Civil Initiative