Evgeny Vitishko rejected a leave for health restoration

The administration of the penal settlement-colony No. 2 of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN) of the Tambov Region has refused to release the Krasnodar ecologist Evgeny Vitishko from work and give him an annual leave provided for all working inmates of the penal settlement-colony. This was reported by Andrei Rudomakha, the coordinator of the "Ecological Watch for Northern Caucasus" (EcoWatch).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 24, Evgeny Vitishko declared a hunger strike at the penal settlement-colony for the second time. He was protesting against the barriers to his conditional early relief (CER). On December 11, his health condition deteriorated rapidly. Today, the ecologist has stopped his hunger strike.

Today, Evgeny Vitishko has filed a letter to the administration of the penal settlement-colony to grant him a one-week leave of absence to restore his health after his 20-day hunger strike. This was reported by Andrei Rudomakha.

"In accordance with Article 104 of the Criminal Executive Code of the Russian Federation, all working prisoners have a right to a leave of absence, once a year, for 18 days," Andrei Rudomakha has reported. He has noted that Evgeny Vitishko has been kept at the penal settlement-colony for one year and nine months, and he never appealed to the administration with a letter asking for leave of absence.

Andrei Rudomakha has also reported that the ecologist faces harsh deterioration of his health state. Despite that fact, tomorrow, Evgeny Vitishko will have to go to work, since the rejection of going to work is treated at the penal settlement-colony as a violation of the conditions of detention and shall be punished by placement to the ShiZO (punishment cell).

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.