The below requirements were set by a group of mothers of the convicts who were sentenced under article 328 of the Belarusian Criminal Code and were minors at the time of detention. The “Children-328” (“Non-Children Play”) campaign will continue until all the requirements are fully met.

They are as follows:

1) Full amnesty for all the persons convicted under 328 who were minors at the moment of detention; they must be released asap.

2) The revision of all the cases and closing of all the criminal cases, including judicial proceedings, against the persons who were minors at the time of detention, which criminal cases are contained the phraseology like “unidentified persons”.

3) The abolition of harsh punishments applied against convicts under art. 328. Such punishments imply that the persons who were minors at the moment of detention are, as it were, cruel criminals. Those convicts are often denied meetings with their relatives, receiving food parcels, and their chance of early release is practically non-existent. We require to define the list of punitive measures that can be applied to a 328 convict (minor at the moment of detention). We require the possibility for these convicts to lodge complaints about such measures.

4) Convicts’ work in the colonies should be preceded by signing a formal labour contract, with tax deductions and deductions to the pension fund prescribed. The remuneration should be no less that 50% of the average salary in Belarus.

5) Compulsory medical insurance of the life and health of the prisoners who were minors at the moment of detention.

6) Relatives should get the unconditional right once a year to hire independent experts for the examination of the health of the 328 convicts who were minor at the moment of detention.

7) Lifting all the bans on meeting with relatives and receiving food parcels – for all the 328 convicts who were minor at the moment of detention. Stop putting convicts in the Penalty Isolator as a method of punishment.

8) The revocation of fee claims for forensics within the cases of 328 minor convicts, and return of the money received from parents as the payments for such forensics.

9) Bring to justice all the officials who hindered to get maturity (school) certificates for the minors who were detained but not yet tried. Urgently to organize the procedure of testing so as these children can finish school education.

10) Stop making deductions from personal money of 328 convicts (minor at the time of detention) for “needs of the colony.” Covering from state budget all the costs for sustaining these convicts.

11) For 328 convicts who were minor at the time of detention – to count one day they spent in a pre-trial facility as three days spent in prison. For all others (adults), one day in a pre-trial facility count as two days.

12) Necessarily to create public committees to monitor the conditions in prisons. The committees should consist of relatives of the 328 convicts who were minor at the time of detention. A committee’s member should have the right to visit prisons at any time.

Related articles:

“Children-328”: goals and objectives of the campaign A school for juvenile offenders opened in Gomel pre-trial isolation facility. What does it mean? Political repressions against minors (part 2) Olga Karach: Investigations into Violations of Children Rights in Belarus Should Be a Priority Monitoring the events of August – December 2020 dedicated to children and their families affected by the actions of the authorities Malicious violators – monitoring