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Dzmitry Paliyenka: Our Solidarity, Inner Freedom Stronger Than Their Prisons

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Dzmitry Paliyenka: Our Solidarity, Inner Freedom Stronger Than Their Prisons
Dzmitry Paliyenka
PHOTO: SPRING96.ORG

The political prisoner wrote an open-hearted letter to the people at freedom.

Political prisoner Dzmitry Paliyenka, after getting into the Babruisk penal colony, passed the quarantine procedure and was placed in the 9th detachment. On May 18, a lawyer visited him in the colony. His friend Maryna Nasenka shared the information about the confinement conditions of Dzmitry Paliyenka, Radio Liberty reports.

“Dzmitry used to write us that he hadn’t received some letters, and we saw this on our own example. As the lawyer says, after this information had leaked to the media, he received several letters at once, also those that people wrote to him in April. This means, some letters were simply not passed to him for a long time due to some reason, and he had them returned only after the press had written about it,” – Maryna Nasenka told.

Dzmitry Paliyenka does not complain about the pressure in the colony of Babruisk. However, according to the prisoner, the colony administration does not regard him as an ordinary inmate.

“He was summoned to the administration straightaway, with some guys. They read out a report. He found out something new about himself: that he allegedly was a member of some extremist anarchist group and so he should be under reinforced control. To point this out, they put a special patch on his uniform. He is obliged to wear the patch all the time. Also, he should be in the first ranks during the line-up procedure. The patch stands out, and it’s not about the colour, it’s about the fabric. It can be white or yellow, but the point is that such prisoners attract special attention. If football fans, or political activists get into the colony, they are also labelled this way,” – Maryna Nasenka passed the information from Dzmitry Paliyenka.

In the colony, Dzmitry Paliyenka has already been sent to work - he sews working gloves in the same workshop where the “Viasna” chairman Ales Bialiatski worked.

On May 26, Dzmitry Paliyenka turns 23. Dmitry's friends are calling to congratulate the political prisoner on his birthday, write to the address: 212800, penal colony #2, Sikorski Street,1, 9th Detachment, Babruisk, Belarus.

“Besides, a year ago Paliyenka celebrated his birthday in the remand prison , this year it will happen in the penal colony. However, he is quite cheerful. He asked to thank everyone for the help and the letters that already reached the addressee,” – the activist’s friend says.

“I sincerely thank you and all the allies. Our solidarity and inner freedom are stronger than their prisons, the good will defeat the evil,” – Dzmitry Paliyenka writes.

“There are fitness machines, a TV, books, varios games – the conditions really are normal in some aspects. They carried out the overall maintenance lately, the building is coloured like a fire machine,” – Dzmitry Paliyenka wrote in one of the letters to his friends.

Civil activist Dzmitry Paliyenka was arrested during a rally of cyclists "Critical Mass", and was sentenced with a delay by the court, allegedly for having attacked. Last autumn, Paliyenka was released, started taking part in protests and solidarity actions again. As a result, the activist was repeatedly arrested, and in March 2017, the delay of sentence was cancelled and he got the real prison term, which should end next year.

Belarusian human rights defenders have recognized Dzmitry Paliyenka as a political prisoner and demand his immediate release.

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