Updated at 17:53,27-03-2024

Founder of pro-opposition website said to be denied access to lawyer

By Tanya Korovenkova, BelaPAN

The Vyasna Human Rights Center on Tuesday demanded that the detained founder of pro-opposition website 1863x.com be given access to his lawyer.

Eduard Palchys, 25, who is held in a detention center in Zhodzina, Minsk region, has not been allowed to meet with his lawyer, said the group in a statement. Vyasna warned that it ran counter to the constitution and international law.

The group also demanded that authorities ensure that Mr. Palchys enjoys decent conditions of confinement and is not subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

Mr. Palchys was arrested in Minsk in May last year but was later released on his own recognizance. He fled Belarus and resurfaced in Ukraine in October.

He was arrested in Russia earlier this year after the Belarusian police placed him on a wanted list, and was later extradited to Belarus. The website has not been updated since his arrest.

Mr. Palchys is facing charges of inciting racial, ethnic or religious hatred and distributing pornographic material. They are linked to his articles on 1863x.com.

Prominent opposition and civil society activists have formed a public committee to push for freedom for Mr. Palchys.