[ RadSafe ] Victimised nuclear scientist released from Belarus jail]

[Marcel Schouwenburg]

The Belarusian nuclear scientist, Professor Yury Bandazhevsky, was 
conditionally released from prison on 5 August, after serving four  years
of an eight year sentence.

Amnesty International adopted him as a Prisoner of Conscience,
believing that he was convicted on trumped up charges because of his  open
criticism of the authorities' response to the Chernobyl nuclear  disaster.

Professor Yury Bandazhevsky, nuclear scientist, former rector of the 
Gomel Medical Institute and author of numerous books on the effects  of
radioactive emissions on individuals, was arrested in July 1999.

Now aged 48, Bandazhevsky has published over 200 scientific papers  and
articles. After being released from pre-trial detention
Bandazhevsky completed further scientific works including a book
published in June 2000 on the impact of radiotope caesium-37 on the 
population living in the contaminated areas. It was reported in
January 2002 that he had prepared two scientific books while in
prison to be published abroad.

International PEN shares widespread concerns that Professor
Bandazhevsky is held for his scientific research on the effects of  the
effects of radio-active fall-out from the Chernobyl disaster on  the local
populace, and specifically for his open criticism of the  Belarus
government's response to the impact that Chernobyl has had on public
health.

Read the full news item at:
www.nearinternational.org/alerts/russia2220050812en.php?type=email

Max Wallis
CCAB, Cardiff University

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Marcel Schouwenburg
RadSafe moderator & listowner