Torture in prison ruins health of defendant in White Legion case - politician


Syarhei Kuntsevich, a defendant in the White Legion case, had to seek medical help soon after the release from prison, politician Mikalai Statkevich told Belsat TV.

The activist of the Social Democratic Party and member of the opposition Belarusian National Congress claims he was subject to electric torture in detention facility Nr 1 in Minsk. Four persons battered Kuntsevich and used a shocker baton to make him disclose the whereabouts of his associate and friend, former presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich.

“He had some health issues, but his condition has grown much worse after a hunger strike, electric torture and incredible moral pressure. First of all, there was a blow to his kidneys. I cannot say more, but the situation is grave,” Statkevich said.

According to the poltician, Kuntsevich gets day-patient treatment in hospital nr 1 in Minsk, but spends nights at home.

“I do not trust the Belarusian medicine. I am not sure that Syarhei is absolutely safe in hospital,” Statkevich says.

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About 30 persons – former members of the defunct sports and patriotic organization White Legion, state-authorized sports and military club PatriotYoung Front activists as well as people who are not associated with any organizations, landed up in jail after Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s words about ‘armed militants’ posing a threat to Belarus.

Two pre-trial prisons of Minsk, the KGB prison and the Interior Ministry’s jail, continue to hold 15 people accused of ‘preparing riots’, some of them were charged with ‘establishing an illegal armed group’. According to unconfirmed information, they may be tortured and drugged.

On June 7, Belarusian human rights organizations published a joint statement calling for immediate release of all persons arrested in the ‘rioting and armed group case’ after reports of torture in KGB prison.

 belsat.eu, photo spring96.org

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