Tortures and cruel treatment used in prisons in Belarus

Tortures and cruel treatment are used in detention facilities in Belarus, and these cases are not investigated by an impartial and independent agency.

Such a conclusion has been made by authors of a report following the results of the monitoring of detention facilities, which presentation was held on December 10 in Minsk, BelaPAN informs.

A lawyer Paval Sapelka has informed that the monitoring was held in 2013-2014 by Viasna human rights centre, which was closed by the authorities, and was based upon analysis of the legal framework, studying other open sources, as well as a interviews of prisoners, including former ones.

As said by him, following the results of the monitoring, a report was created. It includes up-to-date data on the number of penal institutions, number of prisoners, the analysis of violations of prisoners’ labour rights is presented.

Besides, the report offers information about the state of medical care, the law on the right to for correspondence and addresses to different institutions, is analyzed as well. “A conclusion is made that the rights of prisoners are unreasonably limited,” Sapelka noted.

The lawyer emphasized that beside colonies and prisons, there is a number of institutions in Belarus, a stay in which could be equaled to deprivation of freedom. “We think that correctional facilities, as well as other places of restriction of freedom, should be withdrawn from the system of the Interior Affairs Ministry,” he said.

“Human rights activists are limited in their rights and methods, we cannot change something in the system of closed institutions ourselves. But at least, the way we can improve conditions of inmates, is to disclose certain facts, demand and offer the state to make efforts to correct violations,” Sapelka said.

Basing upon the monitoring, the human rights activists propose to the authorities: to take measures to eradicate cases of tortures and cruel treatment in detention facilities; to guarantee the right for legal aid for inmates; to liquidate the institute of medical-labour centres; to take measures for prevention of prisoners’ discrimination in the sphere of labour; gradually improve detention conditions in penal colonies and prisons so they would reach an acceptable level; to create conditions for carrying out public control over detention facilities.