Are New Medical-Labour Centres For "Parasites" Being Built In Belarus?

The information started to appear after the Decree No. 1 was signed.

European Belarus activist Maksim Viniarski published on Facebook the information received from his cellmates in Akrestsina. According to them, new medical-labour centres were created in Belarus after the new Decree on parasites.

"Back in May, while serving an administrative arrest, a cellmate, who had previously been sentenced for stealing, told me that in 2017, the special contingent of the colony near Navapolatsk was allegedly taken to other colonies in wait for mass arrests. During my last arrest, two cellmates convicted of violation of supervision told me that this year, several new medical-labour centres are being built for future parasites," – Maksim Viniarski writes.

Some other activists who previously served administrative arrests also report the information on the creation of new medical-labour centres or the expansion of existing ones. In March, Interior Minister Shunevich announced that as well.

The commissions created to identify "parasites," which have already been called "troikas" by the people, are entitled to "make decisions on sending able-bodied non-working citizens leading an antisocial way of life to medical and labor dispensaries". At that, the criteria of the "asocial way of life" are not registered anywhere. In fact, anyone can get into a medical-labour centre.