Sentence to Statkevich: Prison until the end of term

The custodial pattern for the former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich has been harshened again.

On May 4 at the session of the court in the penal colony №17, where the oppositional politician is detained it was decided to transfer him to an institutional treatment until the end of the term of punishment (for 1 year, 7 months and 15 days).

As BelaPAN was informed from Shklou by a Mahilyou-based human rights activist Barys Bukhel, the court was held behind the closed doors. Only the lawyer and the wife of Mikalai Statkevich, Maryna Adamovich, where present at the court hearings.

The decision to use a harsher treatment for Statkevich was passed by a commission of Shklou colony on April 9. The politician is charged with violation of internal rules and insubordination to demands of the penal colony’s administration.

According to Maryna Adamovich, Statkevich had more than 10 disciplinary penalties imposed on him, most of them for denial to clean the territory. This work should be performed by all prisoners one after another, and for 2 hours a day or less, but these norms were not applied to Statkevich. He viewed that as humiliating treatment, Adamovich explained. On March 24 the politician write a statement that he refuses to perform such works, and after that pressure on him was increased.

Initially the convicted politician served a sentence in the colony №17 in Shklou, however in January 2012 conditions were harshened for him, and he was transferred to Mahilyou prison №4 for 3 years. After this term, on January 12, 2015, Statkevich was returned to Shklou penal colony, where in the first two days two reports were drawn up against him for violation of internal rules.

We remind that Mikalai Statkevich is the only presidential candidate in Belarus in the election-2010 who is still imprisoned. On May 2011 he was sentenced to 6 years of deprivation of freedom on charges relating mass riots on the polling day. International human rights organisations recognized Statkevich a political prisoner.

Initially the convicted politician served a sentence in the colony №17 in Shklou, however in January 2012 conditions were harshened for him, and he was transferred to Mahilyou prison №4 for 3 years. After this term, on January 12, 2015, Statkevich was returned to Shklou penal colony, where in the first two days two reports were drawn up against him for violation of internal rules.