Fireworks in honour of Mikalai Statkevich's birthday

Fireworks were set off near prison No. 4 in Mahilou, where a political prisoner serves his term.

The event was organized by activists and concerned people to congratulate the politician on his birthday, Belsat TV reports.

Mikalai Statkevich has been  in prison for 18 months.

He was a presidential candidate at the 2010 elections. Statkevich was detained after a protest rally against the rigged election results on December 19, 2010. After the really, over 700 protesters including presidential candidates and their team members were arrested.

On May 26, 2011, Minsk's Partyzanski district court sentenced him to 6 years in a medium security penal colony.

A court decision of January 12, 2012, set stricter confinement conditions for Statkevich. He was moved from penal colony No. 17 in Shklou to prison No. 4 in Mahilou.  

Statkevich is often placed to a punishment cell. The number of parcels and meetings with family members was reduced for him. Constant provocations are being organized against him on order of the authorities.