Obninsk, January 26, 2000 - On January 18, Dmitrii Neverovskii, sentenced by the Obninsk City Court to two years of imprisonment for conscientious objection, was put into the lock-up of Kaluga prizon SIZO 37/01.

Cassation appeal of Neverovskii was passed to Kaluga Regional Court on January 14. According to Art. 333 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Court has to examine a cassation appeal in 10 days. Therefore, the Regional Court had to examine Neverovskii's appeal by January 24. However, in violation of the law, the Court session was planned for February 8. Meanwhile in the prison Neverovskii is being under pressure. According to Tat'yana Kotlyar, mother of Dmitrii, famous for her right-defence activity, on January 18, Neverovskii was put into the lock-up for 15 days. The "reason" dates back to a week ago: when everybody was drown out of the cell for a morning control, Dmitrii was sleeping and, when he came out of the cell, he forgot to put his hands at his back. He was punished with a truncheon stroke and, a week later, was put into the lock-up for 15 days. It is evident that this punishment is not adequate to his fault. The lock-up is not heated, even when it's very cold. Tat'yana Kotlyar supposes that SIZO offi

cers were just looking for a pretext to punish Dmitrii.

Tat'yana Kotlyar says that probably they treat him so badly because Dmitrii has appealed to Russian conscripts. Thus, the prison administrations has found a way to take vengeance on Dmitrii for his appeal - an appeal written in this prison and made public. Another possible reason concerns, although it may seem strange, parliamentary elections. Neverovskii has declared that he was going to vote and on, December 19, has written his request concerning his participation in the elections. His mother has brought his election certificate in SIZO. However, on December 19, Dmitrii was not given the possibility to vote. Neverovskii considered it a violation of his electoral right and appealed to the Regional election commission. However, SIZO administration showed him a list of those "who have voted", his name included, with "his signature" and declared: "Well, you see, you did vote!" Dmitrii protested, he said that the signatures was not his and that he did not receive his election bulletin. Evidently, his appeal was

not passed to the election commission: the election commission does not know about the false signature. The Commission replied: ".. Your complaint concerning the violation of that the facts stated in your complaint have been misrepresented and have nothing to do with the reality. Your son, Neverovskii D.A., born in 1973, is number 15 in the electors' list of the investigation prison. The fact that he has voted in the federal electoral district is proven by his signature. He has got his election bulletin in presence of member of the Election commission Gusev V.Yu. and of officers of the investigation prison Sazonov N.N. and Malyuzhin I.V. President of the Election commission V.V. Zhidkikh."

Tat'yana Kotlyar supposes that the election results have been falsified and SIZO administration is determined to make Dmitrii keep silence at any price. She is worried about the eventual actions against her son in the SIZO.

Tel. In Obninsk (08439) 5-86-66 Tat'yana Kotlyar; 3-40-88 (information)

Fax (095) 255-23-18