English

Jail administration refuses to accept water for hunger-striking opposition activist Syarhey Kavalenka

The wife of Syarhey Kavalenka, a prominent opposition activist resident in Vitsyebsk, was not allowed on January 5 to pass drinking water to her husband, who had been on hunger strike for 17 days.

Alena Kavalenka delivered the parcel to Vitsyebsk's detention center on Thursday, but the chief of its medical unit said that the water could not be accepted because the jail did not have a laboratory to test it. "Who knows, maybe I added something to it?" Ms. Kavalenka said. "However, the doctor said that Syarhey might buy water in the jail, so I sent the money to him. I hope he'll receive it soon. The doctor also said that although Syarhey feels 'alright,' I should keep asking for a meeting with him to persuade him to start eating."

On Friday, Ms. Kavalenka filed a written request for a meeting with her husband, and investigator Yury Voranaw promised that she would receive a reply by mail.

On January 12, the trial of Mr. Kavalenka on a charge of using obscene language in a public place is to resume in the Pershamayski District Court.

Mr. Kavalenka, a member of the Conservative Christian Party, stands accused of hurling obscenities at police officers and may have the suspension of his prison sentence revoked if the judge finds him guilty.

In May 2010, Mr. Kavalenka was given a three-year suspended prison sentence after creating a scandal by putting a white-red-white flag on top of Vitsyebsk's tallest Christmas tree in early January 2010.

The obscene language charge was brought against Mr. Kavalenka after he visited the Pershamayski district police station in Vitsyebsk on November 24 to report to a probation officer, which he was required to do on a weekly basis. Police arrived at Mr. Kavalenka's home right after his return, announced that he had been charged with the use of obscene language, and took him to the district police station. He was later placed in a detention center and held there for five days.

On December 19, Mr. Kavalenka was arrested at home on a charge of violating probation rules four times. He has been on hunger strike since then. //BelaPAN