Andrei Klimov named prisoner of conscience

The world's human rights watchdog Amnesty International has recognized Andrei Klimov as a prisoner of conscience. The politician was recently sentenced behind the closed doors to two years in a high-security prison for a publication in the internet, reports Charter'97. Klimov was charged with making public appeals to seize power or overthrow the constitutional order using force. His lawyers maintained that his publication could be described as a political debate. During a pre-trial detention, Klimov suffered a heart attack.

Klimov spent 4 years in prison on alleged embezzlement charges. In 2005, he was sentenced to 15 months of exile for organizing street protests in Minsk.