Yury Bandazhewski’s Prison Term Decreased by a Year

13.02.2004.

(Based on information of Radio “Liberty”)

A worker of Minsk penal colony, situated in Kalvaryiskaya Street, where the former provost of Homel Medical Institute is kept, told correspondent of Radio “Liberty” that the an amnesty was declared and therefore the prison term to Yury Bandazhewski was decreased by a year.

On hearing this news the prisoner’s wife Halina Bandazhewskaya began to count how long he had been in prison, how much time is left to him and what he could hope for:

“Two amnesties have taken place. If we subtract two years from the eight of his prison term, six are left. Three of them, a half of the term, have already passed, that’s why he can apply for changing the restraint for limitation of personal freedom instead of imprisonment.”

Workers of Minsk colony confirmed that court can review Yury Bandazhewski’s case and change the personal restrain to him, for instance apply personal restraint instead of imprisonment. They didn’t say exactly when it could take place, but said that usually it is done quite quickly.

By the way, numerous human rights organizations of the world and well-known politicians continue to demand justification and release of Yury Bandazhewski, thinking that he has been punished for his scientific views on Chernobyl tragedy that differed from the official ones. In their recent answer to the UN Committee on human rights Belarusian authorities repulse it by stating that Bandazhewski is a usual bribe-taker and was received a fair punishment.

It is known that the former provost didn’t take the blame and applied to the UN Committee on human rights after fruitless applications to Belarusian courts. The Committee filed an inquiry to Belarusian Government concerning Bandazhewski’s complaint and received an answer to it. Hary Pahaniayla, who defended Bandazhewski in courts, familiarized with the answer and found it very formal. According to him, Belarusian authorities pretended not to notice the complaint of Yury Bandazhewski concerning violations of his rights, such as illegal arrest, keeping in the conditions that can be considered as torture and insult of his human honor and dignity. Besides, Hary Pahaniayla says that Bandazhewski’s rights to defense, independent and objective trial and the right to complain against the sentence were violated.”