penal colonies

Twelve people involved in the so called student case have already started serving their sentences in penal colonies, the human rights centre Viasna reports.

Political prisoner Natallia Hersche will be transferred from the Homiel-based women’s penal colony to a prison, where the conditions of confinement are highly likely to be harsher.

She feels good, she’s not stressed, except she’s worried about her hair, which has started to fall out.

On Monday morning, defence lawyers came to the pre-trial detention centre Nr 1 in Minsk to see their client Viktar Babaryka. As far back as July 9, the convicted politician was there.

Suicide attempts and cases in which prisoners themselves seriously damage their own health are not uncommon in Belarusian colonies and remand prisons. Often this is not due to depression or suicidal tendencies, but is an attempt to enforce internal regulations or even save lives.