Mikita Zalatarou was waiting for a friend on the street in Homel when he was swept into a crowd of protesters on 10 August 2020. Within 24 hours, the 16-year-old – who also has epilepsy – was in police custody, accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail.

Officers beat him, electrocuted him, interrogated him without a lawyer or responsible adult present, and locked him up for six months before putting him on trial. Despite no evidence showing Mikita had been involved in any violence, he was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment.

Please do all in your power to ensure that he is released pending a fair trial that meets international child justice standards.

Yours sincerely,