Bandarenka’s health breaking down


Zmitser Bandarenka, one of the coordinators of European Belarus civil campaign, who serves the sentence in Mahiliou penal colony №15 risks complete ruining his health. His wife Volha Bandarenka informed journalists that she had received two letters from him. «Zmitser writes that his health is ill. As a result of his catching a cold some complications have started up. Suffering from urarthritis he is in great physical distress. And now, after being X-rayed, he turns out to have ankle arthrosis what is much worse,» Volha Bandarenka said.

In the penal colony the politician still has to turn up at roll calls despite the deseases, she stressed.

Zmitser Bandarenka, ex-presidential candidate Andrey Sannikau’s election agent, was arrested on December 19, 2010, right after the demonstration against election fraud and later sentenced to two years of imprisonment. Soon after the opposition activist’s arrest his chronic illnesses flared up. He did not receive qualified medical aid for a long time. In July, 2011 the political prisoner underwent a spine operation in Minsk clinical hospital No.5

In the end of January, 2012 the conditions of the political prisoners confinement became more severe: he was forbidden to use a crutch and wear orthopedic shoes; he had to walk in a line with other prisoners and do easy work. After lodging a petition for pardon addressed to Aliaksandr Lukashenka the only break he got was a permission to use a crutch. In March, 2012 Zmitser Bandarenka was denied disabled status despite his severe spinal problems. The political prisoner’s relatives consider such actions towards Bandarenka as tortures. They filed a petition to the UN Commission asking for an investigation of torture allegations.

Belsat

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