Tortures in detention facility in Salihorsk

• 20.07.2011, 14:24

Young Front activist Ivan Shyla was taken to hospital only in the evening of July 19, on the sixth day of his arrest.

The guy was taken to dermatovenerologic hospital due to aggravation of an allergic disease, the website saligorsk.org reports.

As Ivan Shyla says, an ambulance was called on Friday. July 15, but he was left behind bars until Monday because of the absence of dermatologist and the oncoming weekend. The detention facility guards refused to transport Shyla to hospital because they did not have cars, they claimed. Meanwhile, Shyla’s condition deteriorated, red spots and blisters appeared on his body.

Shyla managed to insist on hospitalization only after a scandal. The young man connects allergic aggravation with anti-sanitary conditions in the detention facility in Salihorsk and ignoring his requests for medical aid by jail administration.

The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment defines a torture as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person, […] when such pain or suffering is inflicted by [..] a public official or other person acting in an official capacity.

Ivan Shyla was detained and accused of swearing in Salihorsk centre during a silent protest action last Friday, July 13. Judge Burautsou sentenced him to 8 day of arrest. After treatment in hospital, Ivan Shyla will have to return to the detention facility to serve the remaining two days of arrest.