Jailed philosopher transferred from penal colony to prison

February 20, BPN. The Škłoŭ District Court in the Mahiloŭ region ruled to transfer jailed philosopher Uładzimir Mackievič, 66, from Penal Colony No. 17 to Prison No. 4 in Mahiloŭ, his family member told BPN.

He will be held in a cell containing three to 12 inmates. On arrival, all convicts are subject to “strict” regime (medium to maximum security) and can be transferred to a general regime (minimum security) after six months at the discretion of the prison warden.

Inmates under a strict regime are entitled to spend 37 rubels (about $14) per month to purchase goods at the prison store and can receive one short visit as well as one parcel or a small package per year. They also can take daily walks in the prison yard for up to one hour. These limits double under a general regime.

Since the start of 2023, Mackievič has been held at Škłoŭ’s colony’s internal prison. Prison authorities placed him there for three months. They also prohibited him from receiving letters and contacting his family by phone.

In June 2022, the Minsk Regional Court sentenced the prominent regime critic to five years in prison. The judge found him guilty of participating in protests, forming an extremist group and insulting Alaksandr Łukašenka. The Supreme Court upheld his prison sentence in late September 2022.

Mackievič is a public and political figure, a TV presenter, founder and head of the Humanitarian Technologies Agency, leader of the nonprofit EuroBelarus, and founder of Flying University. He was a core member of the Coordinating Council for Political Crisis Settlement.

Mackievič has been in custody since August 2021. Human rights groups consider him a political prisoner.