Political prisoner Autukhovich returned to detention center in spite of terrible condition
May 21, 2009

Mikalai Autukhovich has been discharged from the Republican Prison Hospital on the 35th day of hunger strike.

Radio Svaboda learnt this from a physician, who told this during his traditional Wednesday meeting with relatives of prisoners.

“We a re puzzled, we don’t know why he has been sent to us. We accepted him yesterday, but we are going to send him back to the detention center as he doesn’t want to take medical aid. He says he feels OK, he has no complaints,” the doctor said.

It should be reminded that arrested entrepreneur from Vaukavysk Mikalai Autukhovich has been on hunger strike for 34 day, since April 16. The prisoners protest against the fact his case is not investigated. Mikalai Autukhovich demands either to send his case to court or to release him on his own recognizance. The political prisoner also demands to release Yury Lyavonau and Uladzimir Asipenka, targeted in the same investigation.

It has recently been become known the investigation of the case of businessmen from Vaukavysk was extended till June 3. Relatives of the political prisoners haven’t received permit to visit them for four months.

Human rights activists consider the detained to be political prisoners, turning attention to the fact Mikalai Autukhovich and Yury Lyavonau were convicted before and recognized prisoners of conscience.

Mikalai Autukhovich was transferred to the Republican Hospital of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the Minsk pre-trial detention center #1.

According to lawyer of the political prisoner Pavel Sapelka, “Mikalai Autukhovich has considerably amount of lost weight and looks very weak”.

“When I was visiting Mikalai Autukhovich, he was told he would be transferred to the Republican Hospital of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It means that his condition has deteriorated making it impossible to that he could stay in the detention center, even in the medical unit,” Pavel Sapelka told on May 19.

 

Charter`97