Political prisoners to be left in behind bars

(updated) A lawyer has visited Zmitser Bandarenka in the Mahilou penal colony today.

Volha Bandarenka, the wife of the coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, also visited the colony.

Volha said to charter97.org website the penal colony would not petition to Alyaksandr Lukashenka for pardoning Zmitser Bandarenka.

This decision was taken by the parole board on February 8.

“It's obvious they do not want to free political prisoners. I did not expect a positive solution, but I would be happy to be mistaken. It became clear that the pardon application, which the authorities demanded, do not play a role,” Volha Bandarenka said.

Zmitser Bandarenka phoned his wife Volha on February 4 and said he had applied for a pardon. The political prisoner said he signed the application on February 1.

Zmitser Badnarenka has serious problems with health. On January 30, new strict rules were applied to him, though he underwent a difficult spinal surgery. He cannot use a walking stick and wear orthopedic shoes.

Zmitser Bandarenka, an election agent of presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov and coordinator of European Belarus civil campaign, was sentenced to 2 years in a minimum security penal colony on April 7. After the arrest, he was diagnosed with spinal disc herniation and spinal nerve entrapment. On July 25, he was taken from the Republic Prison Hospital to 5th hospital and operated.