11:03 Youth activist Dashkevich admitted to prison hospital

Zmicier Dashkevich, a youth activist, has been admitted to a central prison hospital in Minsk, after doctors said his spine had a problem. Dashkevich appeared in court in November 2006 and was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for taking part in an unregistered youth organization. He is serving his term in a high-security correctional facility in the town of Shklou.

Last month, Dashkevich was transferred to a wood-chopping site where hard physical labor was a common thing. The Amnesty International has recognized this youth activist as a prisoner of consciousness.