Autukhovich released while Lyavonau waiting for

• 24.01.2008, 16:20

A measure of restraint to Yury Lyavonau, entrepreneur and political prisoner, may be changed. As Lyavonau’s former colleague Uladzimir Asipenka said to the Charter’97 press center, the Baranavichy colony received a letter from the Department of Punishment at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, suggesting that colony administration should consider an issue on Yury Lyavonau’s release on parole.

According to Belarusian laws, only those prisoners who served a half of the term have right to be released on parole. Yury Lyavonau will have served a half of his term till 21 March. But his friends and relatives think he may be released at any moment, as it depends not on law, but on a top level order.

Yury Lyavonau, owner of the Vaukavysk company “Nika-trans” and business partner of Mikalai Autukhovich, released last week, was sentenced to 3 years and 5 months of prison on a falsified accusation of alleged tax-evasion on 7 July, 2006. Lyavonau was one of the leaders of entrepreneurs’ movement in Grodna area. Entrepreneurs organised strikes several times, and being in prison, went on hunger strikes in protest against unlawful pressure by the authorities.

Political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich was suddenly released on 18 January. His measure of restriction was changed from imprisonment to correctional labour. It’s worthy to note, that a commission on release on parole refused to remit his sentence in October 2007. But on 18 January a prosecutor came to the prison and said to Autukhovich he was free.