Alena Kavalenka: Prisoners with low status placed to Syarhei’s cell

On April 19 Syarhei Kavalenka was visited by his wife Alena Kavalenka in the mental hospital “Navinki” in Minsk. The meeting lasted for just 20 minutes.

“I cannot but mention that his spirits rose. He looks a little better, but still he has health problems. Kidney problems have developed, and they had been provoked by intentional an unprofessional actions of doctors in Vitsba-3 penal colony, who catheterized Syarhei, and the catheter was not taken out for a long time, or it was not alcoholized properly.

He told about humiliating treatment and torture at Vitsba-3 colony again. It included depriving from sleep, when lamps were switched on over him, and the lamps were on all night, while he had been tied to bed for three days. Besides, prisoners with low social status were placed to his cell, and his attempt to slash veins was connected to that. These were the mean ways they tried to influence him.

The situation at the mental hospital is better anyway, he said. The staff is better. He is under surveillance, but still it is better. We were given 20-25 minutes, so I could not manage to ask everything,” the wife of the political prisoner told Radio Svaboda.

Alena Kavalenka says that her husband drinks juices, eats fruits and vegetables. According to the latest information, Syarhei Kavalenka’s weight was 52 kilograms, but the wife of the political prisoner does not trust this information, as that was the weight of Syarhei when he arrived to Navinki from Vitsba-3, while he left the colony with the weight of 46 kilograms.

“As before, I insist that Syarhei must be placed to a civil hospital under surveillance of civil doctors. They do not even allow meeting with doctors here, I had to speak to them on the phone. I was hinted that Syarhei would not be kept in Navinki for long, and then he is to expect prison and new problems,” Alena Kavalenka said.