19 March 2024, Tuesday, 11:30
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Human rights activists: Andrei Haidukou may be tortured

Human rights activists: Andrei Haidukou may be tortured

Human rights activists sent an appeal to the UN Special Rapporteur informing about the possible use of torture against Andrei Haidukou.

Authors of the appeal point at flagrant facts of denial of lawyer's access to the  detainee, who is kept in the KGB jail. They think it might be a sign of using torture. They ask the special rapporteur to demand explanations from the Belarusian authorities and recommend the state to allow access of the lawyer urgently, the website Human Rights Activists Against Torture writes.

“There are serious grounds to suspect the use of torture against Andrei Haidukou. Belarusian presidential candidates and members of their teams Andrei Sannikov, Alyaksandr Atroshchankau, Mikalai Statkevich, Uladzimir Nyaklyaeu, Ales Mikhalevich, Uladzimir Kobets and others said they had been tortured in the KGB jail in similar conditions (without access of lawyers). Uladzislau Kavalyou, who was executed for involvement in the metro bombing, also said about torture. The authorities didn't carried out an inquiry over reports of tortures. None of the officials involved in illegal actions was brought to responsibility. Being human rights activists, we cannot wait and hope for honesty of KGB officers. Impunity leads lawlessness,” Pavel Levinau, a human rights activist from Vitebsk, said.

Andrei Haidukou, 23, was detained in November 2012. The Naftan worker from Navapolatsk is accused of “spying”.

According to official information, the guy was detained as he was “installing a dead drop with the information interesting for foreign secret services”. The accusation is found ridiculous by many people. European Belarus civil initiative released a statement saying that the activist was detained for distributing Charter'97 newspaper. Human rights defenders explain the detention of Haidukou by his pro-opposition views and attempts of the authorities to scare young activists.

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