Belarusian prison bans inmates from helping blind political prisoner

The penal colony administration periodically bans inmates from helping political prisoner Vaclau Areška, who lost his sight behind bars, report human rights defenders at Viasna, citing a former political prisoner who was held with him in the same colony.

Areška, 71, is a public figure and an activist of the REP trade union, which was declared an "extremist formation". He has been behind bars since 19 April 2022.

The political prisoner moves around the local sector and the unit on his own. But in other places, he needs assistance: "Because he cannot see anything, it is very difficult for him to walk to the canteen or the medical unit — someone always accompanies him! This person is not always the same one, but different people."

The former political prisoner also says that the colony administration sometimes issues Areška reprimands and penalties, but the reasons are unknown.

According to human rights defenders, the political prisoner is permitted telephone calls, but he has had no visits from relatives during his detention.

Areszka was convicted together with other activists from independent trade unions — Hienadz Fiadzinič and Vasil Biarasniou. They were sentenced to nine years each in a maximum-security penal colony, while he received eight. Biarasniou and Fiadzinič were released under a pardon.