The activist from Homiel, who defied the oppressive power of the Belarusian regime, was unjustly convicted, but has never distanced himself from his principles.
On July 29, Yury Rubtsou turned 54 years old. He marked his birthday in prison in the town of Baranavichi. A week before Brest Regional Court dismissed his appeal against the decision of Pruzhany district court, which means that Rubtsou will be sent to a penal colony.
What is Rubtsou’s fault?
The regime started to persecute the activist in 2013 when Rubtsou was protesting against introducing the contract system in Homiel. But the issue assumed serious dimensions after the Charnobyl Path rally.
In April 2014 Savetski district court in Minsk heard an administrative case against Yury Rubtsou detained at the Charnobyl Path that was sanctioned by the city authorities. Mr Rubtsou often wore a T-shirt bearing inscriptions ‘Lukashenka, Go Away!’ and ‘Fourfold President – not President but self-appointed tsar!’, which could not but irritate the authorities. After the rally policemen stripped him of his T-shirt and take Mr Rubtsou to court half-naked. Moreover, as he had no glasses he was unable to study the materials of his case.
When he called this trial a ‘mockery’, judge Kiryl Palulekh interpreted the words as an insult.
On October, 6 Yury Rubtsou was sentenced to 2.5 years of personal restraint for allegedly insulting a judge. However, the sentence was reduced to 1.5 years due to the amnesty. December 22, 2014 the activist started serving his term in an open-type correctional facility.
While serving his sentence in the village of Kuplin (Pruzhany district), the activist refused to work due to low wages. Rubtsov asked to be provided with a job with an average pay in the country ($ 500), which gave ground for another criminal case.
Rubtsou’s fight
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The Belarusian repressive system kept trying to get Rubtsou down. For example, after the 2014 Chernobyl path rally he was brought half-naked: policemen stripped him to the waist and confiscated his T-shirt with the inscription “Lukashenka, Go Away!” After the unjust sentence the activist went on hunger strike. 25 days later Rubtsov was released. Hardly had he managed to get to Homiel when riot police grabbed him at the station. Rubtsou was taken to the police station and then to the court, where he was sentenced to extra 5 days for ‘disobeying the police’. All this time, Yury kept on his hunger-strike.
Being a guest at Belsat TV program ‘Matskevich’s Talk’, the activist stressed that a hunger-strike is always caused by despair.
While serving his sentence Yury Rubtsou made tattoo ‘Lukashenka, Go Away!’ on his chest on the occasion of Freedom Day. Local policemen were deprived of cash bonuses due to his tattoo, the prisoner says.
Although Brest Regional Court dismissed his appeal, Yuri Rubtsov intends to fight to the finish.
The Human Rights Center “Viasna” considers Yury Rubtsou a political prisoner – a person who is unlawfully deprived of liberty because of their political views, and demands their immediate release. You can support the activist by writing a letter to him:
Yury Rubtsou/ Юры Рубцоў
225413, Brest region, Baranavichy, Brestskaya Street, 258, jail-6
225413, Брэсцкая вобл., г.Баранавічы, вул. Брэсцкая, 258, СІЗА-6
