BELARUS: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER RELEASED

Dear Prosecutor General,

I am extremely concerned about the ongoing arbitrary detention of prisoner of conscience, human rights defender, and educator Nasta (Anastasia) Loika, in Homel prison colony. Her seven-year imprisonment is in retaliation for her human rights work and criticism of the Belarus authorities.

She has been held in conditions amounting to ill-treatment, including being subjected to prolonged solitary confinement for six months, in a four-square-meters punishment cell with prohibition of calls and visits as well as of receiving parcels which were crucial for her proper nutrition and health. Currently, she is only allowed letters and one call per month from her 78 years-old mother. She was arbitrarily listed as “a terrorist” which prevents her from receiving financial support in prison and thus cannot afford to eat properly. Nasta is a vegan and must buy vegan food from the prison shop to eat properly but has no funds to do so. This has a detrimental effect on her physical and mental health.

I urge you to ensure Nasta Loika’s immediate and unconditional release and stop misusing the criminal justice system to target her and other human rights defenders in Belarus. I also urge you to ensure a prompt, independent, and effective investigation of the allegations of Nasta Loika’s torture and other ill-treatment, and of her arbitrary detention and prosecution, and hold those suspected to be responsible to account through fair proceedings.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]