9 political prisoners in Belarus are in critical situation, freedom for 32 activists is restricted

International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Human Rights Centre “Viasna” issued a report on the condition of political prisoners and limitation of freedom for civil activists in Belarus.

Evidence gathered by the human rights organizations demonstrates that 9 detainees “suffer regular punishments that sharply exacerbate the already difficult conditions of their detention by restricting their means of support and quality of food and medical assistance”.

“Often deprived of meetings with relatives, and subject to limits on correspondence, and constant pressure to make them write petitions for pardon, the physical ordeal of these individuals is intensified by psychological ordeals, qualifying detention conditions as inhuman and degrading treatment, prohibited by the articles 7 and 10 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 16 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment”, is claimed in the report.

In addition to these 9 political prisoners, a number of non-imprisoned Belarusian citizens are currently subject to severe restrictions imposed following prosecution in politically motivated criminal cases, note FIDH and Viasna. This number includes 32 former political prisoners as of 30 April 2014. 

However, as EuroBelarus Information Service earlier reported, on the threshold of the Ice Hockey World Championship (IHWC) in Minsk a lot of preventive detentions are taking place in Minsk. All in all about 15 social and political activists have been recently arrested.

You can read the whole report in English here.