On March 26, 2012 the mother of Siarhei Kavalenka visited predetention centre №1 in Minsk. «I was told there that Siarhei had been convoyed to the prison hospital of Vitsba-3 penal colony. He will be placed to the psychiatric unit there as if they did not have another way to withdraw him from hunger-striking. They refused to put Siarhei in a civil hospital; names of the doctors were not
mentioned as well,» Lidziya Kavalenka said.
As a result of hunger-striking the political prisoner has reduced by more than 30 kg. Since March 16, 2012 he has been put on a drip by force.
The activist of the Conservative Christian Party of the Belarusian People’s Front (CCP-BPF) was repeatedly detained for organising a number of protest actions. In May 2010 Siarhei Kavalenka received three-year suspended sentence for hanging out a white-red-white flag on the 40-meter New Year Tree in the center of Vitsebsk. This action was defined as «major violation of public order».
On December 19, 2011 Kavalenka was arrested in connection with criminal proceedings under Art. 415 of the Criminal Code (evasion of liberty restraint service). Being accused of violation of parole and facing three-year imprisonment on December, 20 he went on hunger-striking in protest.
Belsat
