An appeal by Manuel Sarrazin, Member of German Bundestag, who has taken on a prisoner’s godparenthood for Mikalai Dziadok:
The 23rd of August is the twenty-seventh birthday of Belarussian political prisoner Mikalai Dziadok. It is now the fifth birthday that Mikalai has been forced to spend in prison. Together, let‘s show him and the arbitrary system of justice that he is not alone and that we are following his case very closely. Please support my birthday card project by sending him your wishes, either via my office at the Bundestag in Berlin or directly to his prison address in Belarus. My office will translate your birthday messages into Russian and forward the cards to Belarus.
Address of Mikalai Dziadok:
Mikalai Dziadok
213410, Mahiliou region, Horki
Vulica Dabraliubava, 16, PK-9
Republic of Belarus
Address of my Berlin Bundestag Office:
Mikalai Dziadok
c/o Manuel Sarrazin, MdB
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
Germany
I have been involved in supporting political prisoners in Belarus since 2011 and have taken on godparenthoods through the programme initiated by the human-rights organisation Libereco – Partnership for Human Rights. In June of this year I became a prisoner‘s godparent to Mikalai Dziadok.
Mikalai Dziadok was sentenced on 27 May 2011 to four and a half years imprisonment in a penal colony. The sentence is based on an investigation and trial which violated several of Dziadok’s procedural and human rights, and those of the witnesses. Belarusian and international human-rights organisations view Mikalai Dziadok as a political prisoner. In November 2014, Mikalai Dziadok was accused of breaking prison rules, resulting in his sentence being increased by one year and three months. The conditions in which Dziadok is held are incredibly poor. He has been placed in solitary confinement several times, totalling over six months. Mikalai Dziadok is subjected to horrifying treatment by the prison guards and has as a result already attempted suicide twice. I am calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
Thank you for your support!
With best regards,
Manuel Sarrazin
Update 22.08.2015: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenka released all political prisoners.
