Political prisoner Alinevich thrown into punishment cell

Ihar Alinevich will spend 10 days in a punishment cell.

Charter97.org learnt it from the political prisoner's mother Valiantsina Alinevich.

“I was going to visit Ihar last week, but I learnt that he was in the punishment cell,” she says. “I didn't expect it. He was transferred to another correctional facility in late June. It differs from the old one. Different ecology and appearance of legality. Ihar wrote the confinement conditions were rather humane. He was even allowed to buy a telephone card and make a phone call for the first time in six months in the first days of September.

This is an order, and it must be fulfilled. They seized my letter. They said it contained forbidden information. He then was thrown into the punishment cell for 10 days.

I don't know what cruel people and self-educated psychologists work in our security services, but it became a tradition to punish our political prisoners on their birthdays. It happened to Kolya Dziadok. He received 20 days in the punishment cell on his birthday. It also happened to other political prisoners. They apparently want to repeat the record of Vaskovich, who spent 240 days in the punishment cell.”

The political prisoner's mother says she received a postcard from Ihar Alinevich dated September 30.

“Hi, mom and dad,” she reads. “I've got you birthday greetings after the seized letter. Thank you! It's so touching. I haven't received other birthday messages except of yours. Unfortunately, things became worse. I already spent 10 days in the punishment cell. It seems it's not the end. We again came to what we had in 2012. I'll return to the general unit on October 11, if the term is not prolonged. Make a call to check if I will be in the unit instead of the punishment cell. Kiss you. I'm going to appeal against it.”

The political prisoner will remain in the punishment cell until October 20.

Anarchist activist Ihar Alinevich was sentenced to 8 years in prison for damaging administrative buildings. He didn't admit his guilt and refused to apply for a pardon.