Political prisoner Vadzim Hurman put in punitive confinement. He has serious eye condition
22-year-old Vadzim Hurman has been placed in the punitive isolation ward for 50 days, human rights centre Viasna reports.
According to the watchdog’s information, he is beaten and forced to march 5-6 hours a day, trampling on the white-red-white flag to the sounds of the song The Red Army Is Stronger Than Anyone Else.
In February, Vadzim Hurman got 3.5 years of imprisonment in a minimum security penal colony for taking part in post-election protests; the sentence was given by Volha Dubovik, a judge of Maladzechna disctrict court. In accordance with the authorities’ version, on 9 August 2020, Hurman actively participated in ‘an unauthorised mass event’ and showed resistance the police. Hurman shouted slogans, provoked citizens to active action, and threatened the police with violence, the public prosecution said.
In the courtroom the defendant revealed the details of his being detained. Vadzim Hurman claims that when riot police detained him on August 11, he and others were battered and had their faces gassed. Then the severe beating continued in the courtyard of the police department. Finally, he was threatened with rape, and police tried to take off his pants but stopped at the command of someone from the police department leadership.
In May, Viasna reported of Vadzim Hurman’s being in sore need of the medical assistance of an ophthalmologist. The political prisoner has inoperable atrophy of the optic nerves in both eyes: one eye can only see at 12%, the other – at 23%. Every four months, he has to be examined: otherwise, he can go completely blind by the time he is 30. In addition, Vadzim is a boxer and has had a detached retina.
In June, Vadzim’s partner Viyaleta gave birth to twins David and Eva.
belsat.eu
