Journalist Iryna Khalip has not received letters from her husband, presidential candidate Andrei Sannikov, for over two weeks.
The journalist is convinced he writes letters, but they are not sent to her. For this reason, she filed an appeal to the General Prosecutor’s Office:
"It’s clear that Andrei was artificially placed in the situation we all had been in the KGB jail. We were fully isolated from any information outside prison. I’ve prepared and filed to the General Prosecutor’s Office an appeal over the crime demanding to initiate a criminal case and bring chief of Mahilou prison Nr4 Lomaz, chief of the Vitsebsk penal colony Ahnistsikau, acting head of the Corrections Department Pratsenka to criminal responsibility under article 424 – abuse of power. When I was in the KGB jail, a half of state officials there were thrown behind bars over this article", Iryna Khalip told Radio Racyja.
Another presidential candidate, Mikalai Statkevich, is also in information isolation.
There’s little information about another political prisoner, Zmitser Bandarenka. His wife Volha Bandarenka knows the prison authorities have strict attitude towards him in spite of his bad health after a spinal surgery:
"He wrote in the latest letter he has problems with health – his back is still aching. They had an inspection in prison and prisoners, including him, were walking outdoors for four hours. It was a very hard day for him. On the other hand, I receive a part of his letters and telephone calls – it’s better in comparison with other political prisoners", Volha Bandarenka said.