A resident of London, Alan Smith is in the remand prison of Viciebsk two months. Although local human rights activists learned about the criminal case brought against a citizen of Great Britain, most recently, they have every reason to suspect that his rights are violated in every possible way.

With the request to help Alan Smith appealed to Viciebsk human rights activists by his wife Magdalena Wolinska. She said that her husband was detained by border guards in Brest on 29 September and then it was transferred to the detention center of Viciebsk, as in the Viciebsk region before he allegedly committed the crime. Also detained her, but was released after 12 hours. Since then, it has nothing to do with her husband.

British citizen suspected of violating Article 371¹ Criminal Code (organization of illegal migration). Confirmation of this information from the Interior Ministry's employees human rights defenders currently do not have – on request a representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Pavel Levinau to the head of the Office of Penitentiary Department (OPD) in the Viciebsk region lieutenant colonel of internal service Alexander Sivokho did not answer yet.

In addition to information about the basis on which Mr Alan Smith is in the establishment of OPD, Viciebsk human rights activist asks to tell, for whatever reason, his wife does not receive letters from him, and did not violate any of his rights guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was signed and ratified by Belarus.

However, the fact that human rights in this case from the very beginning all is not well known even before the employees OPD deign to answer. According to Mrs. Magdalena, after being detained by them slipped some papers, which must be signed, without understanding their meaning, as the interpreter is not allowed, and all the papers were written in Russian. Alan did not immediately given the opportunity to use the services of a lawyer, although he claimed, saying that he would be sent to Viciebsk – that there would be a lawyer.

After escorting the northeast of Belarus, suffering did not end there. On finding her husband in the Viciebsk detention center says Magdalena Wolinska, "He kept in prison without any possibility of having contacts with me or his family, though such contacts allow the Belarusian prisoners. The guards shout at him and insult because he's a foreigner and does not understand in Russian. He was not allowed to have books and magazines. He punished that should be a day to sit in one position without moving, because otherwise he could face punishment."

Some information about the conditions of detention of her husband in Viciebsk jail Magdalena was able to learn through the British Embassy in Belarus, which is monitoring the situation and staff which sometimes have the opportunity to attend his compatriot behind bars. The British consul, who was in jail a week ago, told Magdalena that Alan did not get any transmission from it, even though she had gathered for him a package with a new towel, clothing, watches, etc.., And she promised that all will give him. It also does not receive letters from her husband, who, according to the consul, who writes regularly. And Alan was able to get one of the letters from her only after the intervention of the embassy.

In the two months that have passed since the arrest, the investigator only once dealt with under investigation. Mrs Magdalena does not understand how this is possible.

As they say human rights activists who are familiar with conditions in Belarusian detention centers they are not surprised by the treatment of suspects in the crime. Such cases are a shock to the residents of the West, but in Belarus, unfortunately, they are the norm.

Compared with the Belarusian inhabitants jail, who also know what a cold room there in winter and the food cannot be there, the situation of foreigners in these institutions is even worse: they do not understand the Russian language, and, without being provided with an interpreter, cannot communicate any with fellow inmates or to staff. So, Alan recently had surgery and requires medical support, but the doctor cannot explain his need.

Viciebsk human rights activists will continue to follow the fate of Mr. Smith. They hope that together with the staff of the British Embassy will contribute to the return of the investigation into the legal field.

Kastuś Dźvinski