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Awtukhovich to receive much-needed dental treatment in Minsk

Mikalay Awtukhovich has been seen by dental specialists in Minsk's Pretrial Detention Center No.1 and will receive much-needed dental treatment at a private clinic in the city, human rights defender Aleh Volchak told BelaPAN.

The imprisoned Vawkavysk businessman was finally allowed to be examined by dentists after meeting with a senior officer of the interior ministry's Corrections Department last week.

He had been on hunger strike for six days to demand this meeting and attention from dental specialists.

The specialists have confirmed that Mr. Awtukhovich needs to have missing teeth replaced. "It has yet to be determined how Awtukhovich should be treated and who should do this. Awtukhovich's lawyer, Pavel Sapelka, is said to have already arranged for treatment at a private clinic in Minsk. It has not been named because many don’t want to get involved in this high-profile case, having well-justified fears of possible problems," Mr. Volchak said.

It is important that the convicted businessman should get the treatment before he is sent to serve his sentence to a correctional institution in Ivatsevichy, Brest region, where standards of medical treatment are much lower, according to the rights defender. .