Zhodino jail staff refused to release the believer Ivan Mihailov — arrested for evading the conscription — in spite of the fact that the College of Judges of the Minsk regional court abolished the decision of the Court of Minsk district concerning the arrest of a young man and decided to release him from prison under cognizance not to leave.
«On March 9th at 3 p.m. relatives and friends of Mikhailov, as well as representatives of several NGOs arrived to the building of Zhodino correctional prison No.8 to meet Ivan”, informed representatives of the Civil Campaign “For alternative civilian service in Belarus «.
«However, the officers refused to release Mikhailov, referring to the fact that an extract from the decision of the College of Judges of the Minsk regional court — presented by the Secretary of the court -is not a basis for the release of Ivan. That’s why, Mikhailov will be kept under arrest until the court grantees the full text of the decision about the change of the preventive punishment to the recognizance not to leave, «- says the report.
As Telegraf previously reported, Zhodino court found believer Ivan Mikhailov guilty of committing a crime «for avoiding conscription activities » and established three months of arrest penalty. The young man refused of military service because of his religious beliefs and insists on appointment of civil (alternative) service.
A few days later, the international human rights organization Amnesty International said that «Belarus has another political prisoner». Human rights defenders declared the believer Ivan Mihailov — arrested on February 1st — as a prisoner of conscience. Amnesty International called for the immediate release of the accused.