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Imprisoned opposition activist Ihar Alinevich transferred to correctional institution near Vitsyebsk

Imprisoned opposition activist Ihar Alinevich has been transferred to a correctional institution near Vitsyebsk.

The 30-year-old Alinevich was transferred to the Vitsba-3 institution because a number of correctional institutions, including the facility in Navapolotsk where he was serving his term, had to be closed down under Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s May 28 presidential edict, reported Belarusian anarchists’ website revbel.org.

Mr. Alinevich’s family has recently received an official notification of the transfer.

In May 2011, Mr. Alinevich and his co-defendants, Mikalay Dzyadok and Alyaksandr Frantskevich, were found guilty of a series of Molotov cocktail attacks on various establishments, including the Russian embassy and a detention center, in 2009 and 2010.

Mr. Alinevich, an electronic engineer by training, was sentenced to eight years, Mr. Dzyadok to four and a half years, and Mr. Frantskevich to three years in a medium-security correctional institution.

Belarusian human rights defenders view Mr. Alinevich as a political prisoner.

In December 2013, he was awarded the top prize of a literary contest for works written in prison for his book titled, "Going to Magadan."

The Frantsishak Alyakhnovich Prize, instituted by the Belarusian Service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Belarusian PEN Center, was presented to Mr. Alinevich’s mother on December 10, International Human Rights Day. // BelaPAN