Former prisoner tells about beating in Hlobokau penal colony
- 1.08.2011, 13:56
Yury Linho, a former prisoner of penal colony No 13 in Hlubokae (the Vitsebsk region), and mothers of two prisoners said about beating in this penal institution at a press conference on August 1.
Yury Linho says he faced beatings after he arrived in the colony in August 2010. He was beaten for no reason and was not given vital medicines for his removed thyroid.
Linho says prisoners demanded to organize a meeting with the Belarusian Prosecutor General in June to complain at bad confinement conditions. The meeting was not organized, but initiators were beaten. Prisoner Yury Razueu cut his stomach shortly after beating. Yury Kantsyava, prisoner with a nickname Chykin (Linho does not know his real surname) and young prisoner Illya were beaten. The latter almost died from blood loss, Yury Linho says.
The mothers of Illya Kavernikau and Usevalad Syarheyeu, prisoners of the Hlubokae colony, reported about beatings.
Kavernikau’s mother says she has recently visited her son, who was thrown into a punishment cell on July 12 after he had announced a protest hunger strike. The woman says she saw his swollen hands and traces of slit on one of his wrists. The prisoner told that inmates are thrown into a punishment cell until traces of beating disappear.
Syarheyeu’s mother said she learnt about beating from the released prisoner. She wanted to see her son. The colony administration promised to organize a meeting in three days, but later she could not reach anyone from the colony on the phone.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs denied information last week that prisoners of penal colony No 13 attempted suicide protesting against cruel treatment.
The Ministry says that it was an incident on June 14 with two prisoners “who are inclined to bullying”. “They were sent to a punishment cell for repeated gross violation of the internal rules. One of the prisoners, Chekanau, injured his forearm with a disposable razor. The second prisoner, Razueu, refused to go in the search room, showed resistance to guards, called on his cell mates to follow his example. After that, physical force was used against him,” BelaPAN learnt from the Interior Ministry.
It was found out during the medical check that he did not need medical aid, the Ministry stressed. After doctor’s examination, Razueu slightly cut his stomach with a disposable razor in the punishment cell, the Ministry added.