Mikhail Zhamchuzhny Incarcerated For Third Time In Year

The lawyer has visited the political prisoner.

Prisoner of the correctional colony No. 9 Mikhail Zhamchuzhny was again punished with 10 days in a punishment cell. This was reported to Radio Svaboda by human rights activist Andrei Bandarenka, who received information about the political prisoner after the visit of his lawyer to the colony in Horki.

"On February 9, the period of Mikhail’s previous cellular confinement expired, he was placed in a ward-type room, but shortly he received 10 days of punishment again. This is the third time since the beginning of the year, and the 20th punishment for the time of imprisonment. They say that he allegedly did not tidy up the cell," – the human rights activist says.

Andrei Bandarenka believes that in fact Mikhail Zhamchuzhny is punished for his complaints about former punishments and for the fact that he still refuses to go to a detachment, where "low status" prisoners are kept.

"It turns out that the case, when an unknown prisoner threatened him in the corridor of the medical unit, was the second one. Zhamchuzhny mentioned that in a letter, but did not give details. But I understand that the pressure continues, but he does not give in, stands up for his honor," – Andrei Bandarenka says.

According to Mikhail Zhamchuzhny, at the end of January, an unidentified prisoner attacked him in the corridor of the medical unit in the Colony No. 9 and threatened with physical harm if he met him again in the colony. It became known about this case from the political prisoner’s letter on the outside. The Horki colony administration refuses to comment on this information. Human rights activist Andrei Bandarenka says that he has not received any responses to the appeals sent to the administration regarding security measures in respect Mikhail Zhamchuzhny.

In 2017, Mikhail Zhamchuzhny reported that the colony administration had ordered him to move to a detachment, where prisoners "with low status" were kept, but he refused, for which he was periodically punished with cellular confinement or placing in a ward-type room.

"After getting out of the punishment cell, Zhamchuzhny finds himself in a ward-type room again, where he again refuses to go into the detachment, for which he is placed in the punishment cell again. This is such a carousel, only with small variations," – Andrei Bandarenka says. Mikhail Zhamchuzhny appealed against every punishment, but with no positive result.

At that, according to the lawyer, who visited Mikhail Zhamchuzhny last week, "he looks vigorous, does not complain about the conditions." When Mikhail Zhamchuzhny comes out of the punishment cell, he gets his correspondence.