On 4 September political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich was informed that on 27 August one of the prison supervisors had drawn up a report on him for the alleged violation of the regulations of the correctional institution.However, the political prisoner observes the prison regime on principle. All the penalties imposed on him should had been cancelled in a month.
The reason for the compilation of the report was the fact that the on 26 August Autukhovich allegedly failed to be in bed after the lights-out time. Stating that this does not correspond to the fact, he appealed against the report to the public prosecutor in the Hrodna region.It is also know that Mikalai received three days of solitary confinement, however, he did not want to explain to his lawyer for which reason.
From confidential sources in Hrodna Prison № 1 it became known that Mikalai Autukhovich inflicted serious bodily injury on himself. According to the source, Autukhovich cut his abdomen with a blade in protest. The reason was openly humiliating attitude of the administration of Hrodna prison № 1 towards the inmate. Two years in a row Mikalai Autukhovich is penalised illegally at the very moment when all previously imposed sanctions on him should be lifted.
Such emotional behavior of Mikalai Autukhovich after the imposition of the penalty, according to the source, can be explained by the fact that Nicholas carefully avoids any violations of rules, giving no reason for the administration to “reward” him with another punishment. As the source said, “… it is not difficult for him, as former military man, to get up in the morning and go to bed on time. He is used to such a regime.His is also used not to speak to anyone for six months, only saying a couple of standard phrases in a day in order not to give reason to further provocations. “
Thus, the prison administration is trying to keep Mikalai Autukhovich in the status of “malicious violator of the detention regime.” It is in this status, it is easy to condemn him on the Article 411 of the Criminal Code (Deliberate disobedience of the requirements of detention facility which executes a sentence of imprisonment) and to increase his prison term or appoint a preventive supervision after release.
– In prison, every prisoner can be pushed to be accused under Article 411, – commented the head of the private cultural and educational institution Platform Innovation Andrei Bandarenka – a report from any supervisor is enough.I think, I don’t even need to say that for our prison system this is a regular style of work. They push everyone who is undesirable or those who the authorities ordered to push. In the case of Mikalai Autukhovich, I am sure that it was a scheduled report of the supervisor and it may not have been the only one. I need to emphasize separately the imperfection of the correctional re-education system of the sentenced prisoners, which pushes them to take extreme measures to protect themselves. In fact Mikalai was put before the fact – we will crush you, condemn you, we will increase your term and you can not even utter a word. You went to bed at the wrong time – go to trial! You got up wrong – term! All according to the regime – still all the same, the trial and increased term! The result is terrible.
We would remind you, that this is not the first such incident with Mikalai Autukhovich: in December 2011, a political prisoner cut his wrists.According to Bandarenka, then Autukhovich protested in such a way against the fraud on the part of the prison administration. “There was a secret agreement that when Mikalai stops talking to journalists, the pressure on him and his friends will stop. Mikalai agreed, but the pressure on his friends has only increased, and he was taken to solitary confinement cell, “- said the human rights defender.
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Mikalai Autukhovich is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, a successful entrepreneur and democratic activist from Vaukavysk. On 7 July 2006 he was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment with confiscation of property. The court found him guilty of tax evasion with the damage to the budget on a large scale, as well as in the implementation of business without registration and license. He was one of six political prisoners released as a result of the harsh sanctions imposed on Belarus by the US and the EU, but on 8 February 2009 he was detained again, and in 2010 he was convicted for alleged possession of weapons. Autuhovich’s health then was seriously undermined by a series of long hunger strikes and lack of adequate medical care. Human rights activists believe the verdict to be politically motivated.
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