The political prisoner Ihar Losik, currently standing closed trial in Homiel and Syarhei Tsikhanouski and Mikalai Statkevich, wrote in a letter about what’s happening in prison #3 reports Radio Liberty.
“Here, in addition to a year of illegal detention and a closed “trial,” they’ve decided to finish us with the humiliation of human dignity. First, there’s endless undressing, naked squatting, being escorted in handcuffs in a “swallow” position, as if I were a particularly dangerous criminal.
Once or twice a week, my cell was searched, and everything was gutted. It is unclear what they want to find; they think I will do something to myself (after Latypau cut his throat at the trial). Of course, I wasn’t going to do anything of that kind. Still, I must honestly say that such actions are humiliating and hurt people’s dignity, and that’s why such petty tyranny can lead to the opposite effect.
With these constant searches and undressing, I feel like a prisoner in Auschwitz, only they don’t pull out my golden crowns,” wrote Ihar Losik to his wife Darya in a letter on July 4.
The trial against politicians Statkevich and Tsikhanousky, and bloggers Losik and Tsyhanovich (“MozgOn”), Tsihanouski’s cameraman Artsyom Sokau and moderator of “Country for Life” social feeds Dzmitry Papou is held behind closed doors in the building of the Homiel detention center. Even the relatives of political prisoners were not allowed to attend the trial.
All detainees are charged with “organization of mass riot” (Part 1 Article 293 of the Criminal Code). Ihar Losik and Uladzimir Tsyhanovich were also charged with “inciting social hatred against representatives of the authorities and law-enforcing bodies” (part 3 of article 130 of the Criminal Code). Syarhei Tsikhanouski, Artsyom Sokau, and Dzmitry Papou are accused of “inciting enmity” and “organization of group actions that seriously violate public order” (part 1 of Art. 342 of the Criminal Code) and “threats” to the chairman of the Central Election Commission (part 2 of Art. 191 of the Criminal Code).
