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On March 9, 2010, a Panel of Judges of Minsk Oblast Court has considered a cassation appeal of Mikhailau against the sentence that was given to him by the Minsk Region Court and decided to submit the case for a repeated consideration. On March 10, 2010 Ivan Mikhailau who was convicted for his objection to military service out of religious beliefs, was released from the Zhodzina prison number 8 (Minsk region).

Mikhailau, being a parishioner of a Jewish messianic community “New Testament” and the oldest child in a family with many children, upon the grounds of his religious beliefs, denied military service and insisted on application of alternative (civilian) service to him, which goes along with provisions of art. 57 of Belarusian Constitution.

However, despite his demands of respect to his constitutional right, he was arrested on December 15, 2009 and put into a pre-trial prison ever since.

Belarusian and international human rights organizations and civil activists expressed their protest in relation to arrest of Ivan Mikhailau and submitted a range of public appeals into Belarusian supreme administrative bodies with the demand to release Mikhailau. A campaign of collecting signatories in support of Mikhailau was launched as well. 120 stakeholders from 9 countries participated in it.

On February 2, 2010 Ivan Mikhailau was considered a prisoner of conscience by “Amnesty international”.

Monitoring group of the
Public Campaign “For Alternative Civilian Service in Belarus”