Questions and answers

Здравствуйте! Да, бывшие политзаключенные могут рассчитывать на поддержку с нашей стороны в рамках ресоциализации и переобучения, а также любой человек познакомиться с гайдом, где мы разместили множество полезных ссылок, которые актуальны для Польши, Литвы и Грузии.

Добрый день. Такая возможность всегда есть, и люди, которые выходят, говорят о ней. В любом случае вы можете загрузить свое письмо в «Банк писем», чтобы оно сохранилось до тех пор, пока его не запросит бывший заключенный. Либо вы можете писать письма через наш сайт, где указать, что это письмо можно переслать родственникам. Если у нас есть контакты ближайших родственников, мы передадим письмо заключенному через них. Бывают и ситуации, в которых общение устанавливается таким образом.

Здравствуйте. На сайте находится информация, которую мы можем найти своими силами, а также та, которую нам сообщили. К сожалению, если о задержании конкретных людей в социальных сетях не было публикаций, а их близкие не выходили на связь с правозащитниками, то мы ею не обладаем.
Будем благодарны за помощь в дополнении информации о преследуемых по политическим причинам, чтобы мы могли оказать необходимую помощь и консультации в данном случае.
Адрес СИЗО: СТ-8, Жодино ул. Советская 22А, 222163

Вітаем
На нашым сайце есць асобны раздзел, прысвечаны дапамозе люзям у розных статусах, раім пазнаеміцца. Для тых, хто вызваліўся, магчыма атрымаць фінансавую дапамогу ад BYSOL. Акрамя таго, чалавек заўсёды можа стварыць збор на бОльшую суму, калі гэта патрэбна на пляцоўках BYSOL або GetDonate. Калі чалавек пакінуў межы Беларусі і знаходзіцца ў Польшчы, то ён можа звярнуцца па дадатковую дапамогу ў Беларускі Дом (Варшава), Фундацыю „Вакно на Усход” (Беласток). Таксама для вызваленых існуюць праграмы медыцынскай рэабілітацыі (як унутры Беларусі, так і па-за яе межамі), праграмы дапамогі з працаўладкаваннем/перападрыхтоўкай, псіхалагічная падтрымка, візавая і ментарская. Калі ласка, перадавайце кантакты праваабаронцаў наўпрост да палітвязня і мы яго пракансультуем дадаткова.

It is important to understand that the Solidarity Marathon is not a separate queue or a new payment. The money from the Marathon will be distributed to relevant initiatives and organizations that provide targeted assistance on a regular basis. At any time (not just before or after the marathon), you can contact:
- in dissidentby for support within the framework of the collection of transfers (to a pre-trial detention center / colony);
- to the "Country for Life" Fund for a one-time payment;
- to the BYSOL Foundation for a one-time payment or an anonymous fee for a larger amount;
- to the Littouwin Foundation for help with paying for medical parcels and transfers.

In addition, there is psychological and legal support .
Perhaps for some, a distributed and horizontal system looks more complicated, but it allows you to respond faster to specific requests, reduce the number of bureaucratic procedures and cover as many requests as possible from those in need of support. Whatever organization you write to, they will be able to help you or direct you to the necessary initiative.

The total number of recorded persecution today is the names and surnames of people known to us, against whom a criminal case has been initiated. This figure includes the current number of political prisoners ( who are known to us ), as well as other prisoners convicted for political reasons under criminal articles. In addition, these are people who have already served their term in whole or in part, forced to leave Belarus before their detention or before the sentence comes into force, as well as a large number of people with the status " unknown ".

Unknown status - this means that we know about the initiation of a criminal case from public sources (schedule of court hearings, pro-government videos, etc.), but we do not know the whereabouts of a person, the results of the trial, or we do not have information about a change in status (for example, about termination of prosecution).

As information comes in from other former prisoners, we update the data we have.

Hello. Unfortunately, the only way to find out a sentence under criminal articles is to attend a court session or establish contact with loved ones who can share it with you. If we or other human rights organizations have information about the verdict, it will be displayed on the site. If it is not, then we also do not own the information.

You can send a letter to the old address, because. after the verdict, the person is still in jail. Moreover, if he appeals against the court decision (files an appeal), then he will stay in the pre-trial detention center for another 2-3 months before the sentence comes into force . Therefore, do not worry in advance, because. relatives may also not have information about the place of further punishment. Check the address of the prisoner before sending on our website .

Dapamagat majlіva ў any minds, nawat znakhodzyachysya ў Belarus. With swaygo to the side, we are working on offensive tools:

Write a list of rights on our website (for a getag, a non-abbreviated package is given to your own right name and address);
Transferring pennies to asabisty rahunak knitting, yakі znahodzitsa ў SIZA i not may prysudu (i prysud not nabyў mots). For the shepherd "grasovy peralik" it is not necessary to give a pile of personal dadzens according to the laws of " Abbarone personal dadzens ", there you can write any kind of dadzeny in the column "Adpraunik". Pry getym, kali chalavek budze peravedzeny ў іnshae SІZA qi are called, these pennies will follow him and be a pit handed on the hands of a judge. Zvyarnitse ўvagu, that kali chalavek adbyvae pakaranne, then only svayak can give pennies. Where you don’t know, to whom the pennies are given, on the site dissidentby.com there is a clear filter, where you can choose only knitting, which is not asudzil.

You can also access non-essential information using our Telegram bot .

Unfortunately, money transfer from foreign cards is not possible. You can make a transfer only from Belarusian cards (transfers can be made to all SIZOs, except for SIZO-1, Minsk). In order to help a particular person, you can contact us via social media or by leaving a request for help on the page of a particular person. If we have a contact of the relatives, we will contact you directly and then you will be able to support the prisoner.

Any letter received by a correctional institution (IU) or a pre-trial detention center (SIZO) is subject to checking by local censors. Therefore, you should remember that you should not discuss the details of the criminal case (especially other persons concerned), criticize government officials or react sharply to political events, and use obscene language in the letter. Always keep in mind that the letters here are not private, they are read by other people (censors, and sometimes operations officers). Therefore, form your letter based on these circumstances. Do not give details of your life if you do not want this information to be used by someone.

If the letter was sent in the usual way or in a first-class envelope, then after being checked by a censor, it gets to the prisoner (the administration staff brings letters to the person in the cell). If you sent a letter by registered mail, then usually a person is called to an office to get this letter. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that the prisoner will receive the letter. The letter can be destroyed at the checking stage or in front of the person. It is done for additional pressure.

To protect yourself when sending a letter, you can use the addresses of relatives or acquaintances (a non-existent address), as well as a fictitious first and last name. But in this case, you should understand that the response will come to the address specified when sending.

If you have the contacts of the relatives (or have the opportunity to find them), then you can send letters through them.

The decision to support the person at their court hearing with your presence is important for the prisoner! There are two types of hearing: open and closed. Only relatives or witnesses in a criminal case are allowed to attend a closed hearing. Anyone can come to an open one in accordance with the Article 23 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Belarus.

BUT it should be taken into account that there is a total legal collapse in Belarus, so it is better to prepare even for attending an open court hearing:
- inform your loved ones where and at what time you will be
- instruct your loved ones where to report in case you do not answer their calls (to human rights organizations for assistance)
- take your passport to the court
- do not bring anything unnecessary to the court (stickers, business cards, notebooks with important notes, valuables, piercing and cutting objects, and so on). Take only the most necessary items
- make sure that there is a password on your phone and sensitive information which can harm you is not stored there.

Therefore, going to a hearing, first of all take care about your safety. If you know you are at risk, avoid visiting the court and support the person in another way.

It often happens that human rights defenders receive information about upcoming trials from open sources (publications on state-owned channels, official websites of judicial institutions, mass media). Due to the intensity of persecution and pressure on volunteers and observers, it is not always possible to attend a court hearing and record its progress, including the verdict.

We try to promptly publish all incoming information about transfers and sentences. If there is no information yet, then we do not have the results of the trial at the moment. If you know how to find relatives or you have any additional information about a person, we will be glad if you send it to us.

Hello! Please contact a member of our team using the contact information in our Telegram channel description.

To receive financial assistance for released political prisoners, you can also fill out this form (assistance from BYSOL). If you need medical assistance, please use this link (Country for Life Foundation) or contact us on Telegram here (Padarozhnik). If you need psychological assistance, please contact the Daver Psychological Assistance Center, our psychologists on Telegram here , or via this link . To receive a regular food basket, please contact ineedhelp or let us know you need food assistance (only outside Belarus).

We would be happy for you to contact our team so we can discuss your individual needs and provide the assistance you need.

You should remember that there is a weight limit for care packages. So, a person whose sentence has not entered into force (after the consideration of the appeal) can receive up to 50 kg. Therefore, it is possible to bring the care package to the detention facility if you are sure that the person does not receive support. If they have relatives who take care of them, then it is necessary to coordinate your care packages with the relatives in order not to deprive a person of necessary items.

But you can send a small parcel to the person! The weight of the parcel is usually not included in the total weight, so you will not cause inconvenience to relatives, but will be able to make something nice for a political prisoner.

Where can I send parcels and care packages?
- SIZO-1 (Minsk), SIZO-2 (Vitebsk), SIZO-3 (Gomel), Turma-4 (Mogilev), Turma-8 (Zhodino), Turma-1 (Grodno), SIZO-5 (Bobruisk). For SIZO-7 (Brest) and SIZO-6 (Baranovichi) it is necessary to coordinate your actions with relatives because parcels are included in the total weight (!).

Try to send small parcels (up to 3-4 kg) with non-perishable items. Usually, prisoners are happy to receive coffee, tea, chocolate, sweets, nuts, cigarettes, and other small things. They are never in abundance! You can also send them envelopes that can be mailed throughout Belarus.

You should also remember that in accordance with the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, convicts have the right to receive parcels, packages, and money transfers only from close relatives, and with the permission of the administration (if another person is included in the personal file) of the correctional institution from other persons.

A detailed manual on care packages can be found here.

Unfortunately, ignoring a criminal prosecution only makes matters worse for the person being persecuted. This leaves the person completely isolated, as they don't receive letters of support from others, small parcels, or packages. They aren't listed as political prisoners, and their portrait isn't featured at solidarity protests around the world. Furthermore, their family can't receive the necessary support.

If the persecution is politically motivated, the verdict will undoubtedly be biased against the persecuted person. Silence plays into the hands of the persecuting authorities, as it allows them to exert psychological pressure on the person (" nobody needs you ," " nobody supports you ," " what you did was in vain, " and so on), convincing the person of the insignificance of their actions when expressing a civic position and forcing them to admit guilt/turn themselves in/"give up" their friends and comrades. Furthermore, silence allows them to conceal violations of the persecuted person's rights both during the investigation and trial.

We would advise relatives and loved ones not to be guided by fear, which may be instilled by punitive authorities, or by the hope of a favorable outcome when communicating with these agencies (they may also try to gain your trust under the pretext of wanting " the best ." After all, if they really wanted the best, they would refuse to persecute and repress someone for political reasons). The sentence for your loved one is already known in advance, so please do not deprive them of the opportunity to receive the necessary support from civil society and human rights organizations.

If you or your loved one have become a victim of torture or inhuman treatment, be sure to document what happened:

1. Contact human rights organizations to tell them in detail on the record (audio or video) about what happened to you or the actions you witnessed. Try to remember and clarify as many details as possible. This is important in order to use all possible mechanisms to provide legal assistance in such a case;

2. Submit your report to the district department of the Investigative Committee or the Investigative Committee of your city, pass an interview with an investigator, who must issue a referral for a forensic medical examination. If the victim is in the hospital, you can send an electronic appeal through the website of the Investigative Committee, then the investigator will have to come to the victim of torture and ill-treatment for the interview. If the person who suffered from violence is in custody, call a lawyer to file the necessary complaints;

3. If you are not ready to contact the Investigative Committee, then you can independently undergo a medical examination at the clinic at the place of your registration or at a private medical center. Such an examination is not considered official and has no legal force, however, a doctor will record the injuries and the state of your health. In any case, contact human rights organizations to document torture. During your interview, you will talk to trained specialists and a psychologist. You can contact Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus.

4. Independent documentation should be carried out by you as soon as possible and consists of:

taking a picture of the injuries,
making an audio or video recording of important information: the date, time, and и location of the incident, the data of persons involved in the abuse, the data on witnesses, your condition and well-being;
saving a copy of medical documents after passing the examination;
saving the clothes you were wearing at the time of the incident.

Learn more about documenting the accident on your own in a brochure.

If a person is in custody, be sure to record all evidence of torture through a lawyer. If you have notarized power of attorney (in order to obtain notarized power of attorney, it is necessary to send a lawyer to the place of detention/imprisonment of the person to sign the necessary documents), you will be able to file complaints yourself on behalf of the imprisoned person.

Do not ignore the torture, inhuman treatment, and violation of human rights during detention and in custody. Documenting and publicizing will help to contact international bodies (UN special rapporteurs, the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, EU structures) and to be able to counteract the recurrence of such events. To understand the importance of documenting torture you can watch a series of videos on YouTube from an educational project DOCUMENT.

If you need a psychologist:
- Psychological help line for women from the Belarusian Women's Foundation: [email protected]
- Website with free psychologists, including specialists who work with survivors of torture and ill-treatment
- DAVER, free psychological assistance to Belarusians 2020.

The very first step is to start looking for the person right away. Do not wait for news from law enforcement officers. In the first hours and days of detention, the police forces out a confession which later becomes the basis for the charges. Therefore, the person needs timely legal assistance and support.

Phone numbers of TsIP and IVS detention facilities, police departments and courts of Minsk (if the case is turns out to be administrative and the person receives administrative arrest) can be found if you follow the link. A hint: first of all, it is worth looking for the person in the district police department at the place of residence. Phone numbers of police stations in other cities of Belarus can be found here. If you could not get any information by phone, visit the police station and leave a missing person report in a free form describing all the known circumstances. They will be required to inform you about the whereabouts of the detainee as soon as possible.

Next, find a lawyer who you will be able to get you the access to all the information about the detainee in the near future. When a lawyer enters the process, no investigative actions should be carried out without their knowledge. Ask for help in finding a lawyer to existing initiatives Avocado.help, Legal service Viasna or through contacts on our Telegram channel. Make sure to ask the lawyer to records all violations against the detainee (psychological pressure, physical violence, misuse of power, violation of rights) and file complaints.

!In no case should you believe the police, the investigative committee or the KGB!
The main goal of these people is to achieve the harshest possible punishment for the persecuted, isolate them from society, and hide all their own violations. The only way to stop violations by the punishers, to exclude pressure or torture is to make what is happening visible.

Only this way will the human rights community, international society, and independent media be able to respond timely and properly to the lawlessness of the authorities and provide solidarity, material and information support.

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