Human Rights Center Viasna is gravely concerned with the violations of human rights that took place at Orsha penal colony. On 7 or 8 March Mikhail Marynich had insult there. According to our information, the prison guards refused to give medicines to him for four days. (22-MAR-2005)
Mikhail Marynich, who is kept in penal colony #8 in Orsha had insult on 8 March. As a result, the right half of his body is paralyzed. Aleh Lukashevich, head of the colony, confirmed only part of this information. He said to RFE/RL correspondent that Mikhail Marynich was transferred to the medical department of the colony and the state of his health was “satisfactory”:
— Yes he had something, but it’s all over now. He has a good health now. He is kept at the medical department. He will probably live twice longer than you and me, — said the head of the colony.
Maryna Koktysh, journalist of Narodnaia Volia (People’s Will) newspaper, said:
— According to one of our readers, who had a talk with the colony administration, Marynich had insult as a result of which the right half of his body is paralyzed.
Mikhail Marynich was detained in an isolator from April to December 2004. His advocates repeatedly informed the public about the bad state of his health, including heart illness. However, neither the investigators nor the court paid any attention to it and didn’t change the restraint to Marynich.
We should remind that Mikhail Marynich has been sentenced to 3,5 years of jail for alleged theft of property. He considers it as politically motivated persecution because of his oppositional activity and the intention to run at the presidential election of 2008. Amnesty International declared Mikhail Marynich prisoner of conscience.
Recently Mikhail Marynich has been transferred from prison to a cardiological clinics.
