Migalski highlighted that he is deputy member of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Belarus, and is very interested in the situation of political prisoners. He is particularly concerned about the fate of Mikalai Statkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich, because the media repeatedly informed that they were being persecuted by the prison administration, and subjected to pressure, isolated from the outside world and kept in harsh conditions.

The information that these prisoners are being persecuted for political reasons by the prison administration has repeatedly appeared in Belarusian and European media.It is also known from the media and reports of Belarusian human rights defenders, that they are being put under a lot of pressure, including the isolation from the outside world and the tough conditions of imprisonment, ” – said Migalski.

Mr Migalski stated he wants to meet with the prisoners of conscience, see the conditions of their imprisonment, as well as to look at their physical and mental health. Besides Migalski drew attention to the fact that in August 2011 he was denied access to the Republic of Belarus for the reasons, which remained unknown for him. 

Last October Marek Migalski initiated “Freedom x 2” campaign of solidarity with two Belarusian political prisoners – Mikalai Statkevich and Zmitser Dashkevich. A special website www.2free.eu was created for this campaign, where one can find information on the situation with Zmitser Dashkevich and Mikalai Statkevich, and also read about the measures that Migalski takes and other actions, organized by his office. There is also a petition to the heads of European Union member-states, so they could constantly remind of the Belarusian prisoners of conscience, who are being persecuted, oppressed, and who had been abused in the colonies.

***

Mikalai Statkevich (right) has been convicted on charges of organizing a protest rally after the presidential elections on 19 December 2010 for 6 years of imprisonment.At the moment he is the only presidential candidate in the 2010 elections, who remains in prison.  As a malicious violator of the imprisonment regime he was sent to the Mahiliou closed-type prison.

Zmitser Dashkevich (left) – the leader of the youth organization “Young Front”.Before the expiration of the two-year prison sentence for alleged hooliganism on the eve of the elections the political prisoner was sentenced for a year for defiance of the colony’s administration and transferred to a prison as a regime violator. In mid-January it was reported that Zmitser Dashkevich had an inflammation of the nerve, because of which he could hardly move.

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