It was reported today that political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau has attempted suicide for the third time. Behind bars, such an attempt is a desperate step to draw attention to one’s situation and to stop the abuse.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau, comments on the prison conditions in Belarus that lead to such consequences:
“The story of Stsiapan Latypau is another tragic episode and yet another horrifying testimony of what political prisoners in Belarus are systematically subjected to. A third suicide attempt is the result of prolonged, deliberate destruction of human dignity.
Punishment cells, strict detention conditions, constant pressure, deprivation of contact with loved ones, lack of basic necessities, humiliation, isolation, and endless penalties — all of this is used as a tool of psychological and physical breaking.
This is confirmed by testimonies of those who have been released recently. They speak of horrors, torture, cold, and total isolation, which all lead to a person losing the meaning of life and being driven to a suicidal state. Former political prisoner Maksim Sennik has also spoken about suicide attempts and abuse in prisons in Belarus.
Valiantsin Stefanovich has described a system in which political prisoners are methodically deprived of dignity, sleep, health, contact with their families, hope, and any humane conditions. Ales Bialiatski has previously said the same, emphasizing that the prison system in Belarus is designed for suppression and the destruction of the individual, not just for detention.
This is why we must speak plainly: what is happening to Stsiapan Latypau is yet another proof that the inhumane treatment of political prisoners in Belarus is a systemic policy of the regime.
To date, 9 political prisoners have died in custody. And the regime is doing everything to ensure this continues.
As long as political prisoners remain in prisons, their lives are at risk every day. We will continue our efforts to ensure that all of them return to freedom and are safe”.
