According to the Viasna Human Rights Centre, political prisoner Uladzimir Kniha will be tried for the third time for “malicious disobedience to the lawful demands of prison administration.” The regime is using Article 411 of the Criminal Code again as a tool of pressure against political prisoners.
This is a telling example of a systemic practice in which alleged “violations” are fabricated in places of detention to artificially extend prison terms. A third consecutive criminal prosecution under the same article points to a deliberate policy of repression.
According to human rights defenders, more than 80 political prisoners have been convicted under Article 411, 45 of whom remain in custody. Those targeted include both prisoners nearing the end of their original sentences and those serving long-term sentences of 15–20 years.
How this mechanism works:
- minor or fabricated “violations” are recorded (dress code, “disobedience”, refusal to comply with degrading demands);
- disciplinary penalties are imposed (punishment cells, solitary confinement, stricter detention regime);
- after repeated “violations,” a criminal case is initiated under Article 411.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Advisor on Legal Affairs, Leanid Marozau: “The use of Article 411 of the Criminal Code is a systemic tool of political repression employed to artificially extend the imprisonment of political prisoners. This practice contradicts fundamental legal principles, including the prohibition of double punishment and the right to liberty and personal security.
In effect, fabricated disciplinary ‘violations’ are turned into criminal offenses, allowing the regime to keep individuals imprisoned indefinitely. This practice is clearly repressive and selective in nature and has been recognized internationally as unacceptable”.
