The legal team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's Office has prepared a detailed analysis of how prison administrations constrain the basic rights of political prisoners on top of depriving them of liberty. The report explains the trickery the regime uses to maximize the harm to people. We are in fact witnessing a systematic government policy of increasing terror against dissenters. The report may be useful not only for lawyers and human rights activists. We will share this information with our partners so they can assess the situation in Belarus for their decision-making regarding further directions of the sanctions policy and accountability for those responsible for systematic mass violations of human rights.
The regime is trying hard to ensure that as little news as possible about the condition of political prisoners reaches the media and human rights defenders. There have been no reports about Maksim Znak, Ihar Losik, Siarhei Tsikhanouskaya, Maryia Kalesnikava, and many others for months, as well as no letters from people and no phone calls which are prescribed by the law. Lawyers can't get prison administrations to let them see their clients.
The prison authorities understand their actions are inappropriate. However, they continue to put pressure on people who are behind bars for exercising their rights.
We would like to recall that incommunicado detention can itself be regarded as torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. Therefore, those who practice torture in places of detention should not expect the civilized world to treat them with kindness. Prison administrators should keep in mind that such actions might be considered criminal. Hence, we call for granting access for lawyers, relatives, medical personnel, diplomats, and representatives of international organizations to visit incommunicado political prisoners as soon as possible to put an end to their incommunicado detention.
Read the legal review regarding the deterioration of conditions for political prisoners in prison facilities in Belarus at the link.
