Prisoner of Navapolatsk Medical-Labour Centre Swallowed Nails in Protest

HRC Viasna got informed about a suicide attempt in medical-labour centre No. 8., Navapolatsk.

Prisoner Ruslan Trubkin put there on December 11, 2015 swallowed nails in protest over the denial of parole.

It is known that Ruslan Trubkin was treated, he works in the shop producing canvas tilts, he does not violate the detention regime and has requested to reduce the period of detention. However, the prisoner notes while mending his ways he has encountered resistance of the head of the detachment Aliaksandr Pankratau, human rights activists inform.

"It started with my appeal for a long visit for my relatives. However, he started to change dates or even lost my written requests. I booked an appointment with the chief of the correctional facility Osipau Pavel Pyatrovich and he sanctioned the meeting.

When talking to Pankratau of the possibility to reduce the period of detention in the MLC, he responded using foul language and threatened with its extension: he will start with an isolation ward, then several times of 30-day arrest and then the extension of the term", Ruslan Trubkin writes in a letter.

The prisoner himself stresses that he "made mistakes", but now he is ready to return to the family with four minor children.

"It hurts to hear on the phone the children wondering: "Dad, when is your service in the army over? Bicycles need repairing." I say that I will return soon. I am ashamed to see myself here," Ruslan Trubkin complains.

However, despite model behaviour, Ruslan Trubkin is being put pressure on: he was put under control or registered as bent on self-destruction.

The prisoner notes that the leadership of the detachment practices "informal fees" for a repair, cigarettes, chocolate, coffee. People in the MLC are afraid to talk about it, because then they will fall under a disciplinary penalty.

It is noteworthy that the salary there is poor. In February 2016 he earned only 201 non-denominated rubles, in March - 706.

Lawyer of HRC Viasna Pavel Sapelka emphasizes:

"The MLC is the place for detained people who did not commit a crime. This is the first problem; deprivation of liberty shall be allowed for an offence. The second problem is that these people are cheap, almost free man power; and forced labour problem in Belarus is extremely urgent. The Committee on Norms and Standards of the ILO drew the attention of the Belarusian authorities to the need to bring the national legislation into conformity with the requirements of the Convention No. 29 of the ILO, which proclaims prohibition of forced labour following the consideration of the Belarusian issue at the 105th Session of the International Labour Conference, which took place on June 6 in Geneva.

According to norms and standards, the ILO urged the Belarusian government to "ensure full conformity of these decrees and national laws with Convention No. 29 including: Law № 104-3 dated 4 January 2010 "On Process, Procedure, and Conditions In Medical Labour Centres"; Presidential Decree № 3 of April 2, 2015 "On Prevention of Social Dependency"; Presidential Decree № 5 "On Reinforcement of Requirements for Management and Employees"; Presidential Decree № 18 of November 24, 2006 "On Additional Measures of State Protection of Children in Adverse Families."

The parole issue was considered on July 28, but the decision was negative. Ruslan Trubkin was shocked and he swallowed iron nails. The prisoner was rushed to the hospital, nails were taken out from the stomach with the help of the probe and the magnet. Later he was taken back to the MLC and punished with 10 days of the isolation ward. The administration claims that Ruslan is feeling good.

The prisoner's wife Lyudmila Trubkina intends to write a complaint to the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the legality of the denial for the parole.