Yuri Bandazhevsky, born on January 9 1957 in Belarus, former director of the Medical Institute in Gomel (Belarus) was a scientist working on sanitary consequences of the Chernobyl accident. On June 2001 Yuri Bandazhevski was sentenced to eight years imprisonment on the grounds that he had allegedly received bribes from students’ parents. The institute’s Deputy-Director, Mr. Vladimir Ravkov, also received an eight-year prison sentence. Bandazhevski’s lawyer claimed that he had been condemned on the basis of two testimonies made under duress, without any material evidence. According to many human rights groups Dr. Bandazhevski is a prisoner of conscience. Amnesty International has stated on their website “His conviction was widely believed to be related to his scientific research into the Chernobyl catastrophe and his open criticism of the official response to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster on people living in the region of Gomel”. His arrest came soon after he published reports critical of the official research being conducted into the Chernobyl incident.

Ukrainian authorities vigorously deny this allegation on 6/18/2001 Pravda reported “The professor, who is a specialist in radiation medicine, pleaded not guilty and, predictably as is now fashionable, claimed that his persecution was "politically motivated" because he criticized authorities.”

External links:

An article about Yuri Bandazhevski at Bellona web

http://www.amnesty-vu.nl/files/news052.htm The Council of Europe's Political Affairs Committee resolution on Belarus see section 28, 29 Repression of opponents – Bandazhevski case.