Brief description of the events that took place in Minsk on 9 and 16 September 2009

On 9 September several tens of people came to Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk to protest against the arrival of a military contingent of the Russian Federation in Belarus for participation in the joint Belarusian-Russian military trainings. The protesters were holding the banner ‘Russian Army Go Home!’ The action was peaceful. Its participants did not hinder the traffic and the movement of pedestrians. They were standing in the center of the square and did not interfere with the work of shops and normal vital activity of other citizens. Several minutes after the beginning of the picket people in mufti tired to tear the banner out of the hands of participants of the action, but did not succeed. Then, several minutes later, the riot police arrived and started detaining the present people with the use of physical violence. All in all, about 20 persons were detained that day. Some of them were detained by people in mufti preventively, before the action: the leader of the Young Front Zmitser Dashkevich, the member of the BPF Youth Siarzhuk Karpovich, etc. Such detentions took place when the activists were approaching Kastrychnitskaya Square. The majority of the detainees were guarded to Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. The reports about violation of Article 23.34 (violation of the order of organizing and holding mass events) of the Administrative Code were drawn up on them. A report about violation of Article 17.1 (petty hooliganism) was also drawn up on Zmitser Dashkevich. 17 detainees were locked up in the center for isolation of delinquents for the night. In the morning they were taken to the Tsentralny district court of Minsk.

At court the detainees (who were then sentenced to pay fines and were released from the court) told members of the Human Rights Center Viasna that the police had used such excessive violence towards those who were detained at the picket on 9 September physical that it could be qualified as tortures. The detainees stated that after they had been pushed into the busses some of them had been  thrown down on the floor, beaten, insulted with foul language and threatened with rape (the policemen promised to rape one of the male detainees before the eyes of all the rest). The representatives of the HRC Viasna U.Labkovich and V.Stefanovich, who were present in the court, visually observed the traits of beating on the faces of some of the detainees. In particular, Zmitser Barodka’s nose was smashed, Maxim Serhiyets had a cut eyebrow and Viktar Ivashkevich had a small hematoma on his face. Most of the detainees orally confirmed having been beaten by the riot police in the busses on the way to the police department, and also later, in the building of the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. Moreover, all questioned persons confirmed that the detainees had had to stand facing the wall for three hours, as it was ordered by the police, and also that police officers refused to call an ambulance on the request of the detainees.

On 16 September 2009 several tens of people took part in the picket dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the kidnapping of the vice-speaker of the Belarusina parliament Viktar Hanchar and his friend Anatol Krasouski. The picketers were holding only portraits of V.Hanchar and A.Krasouski in their hands. The action was peaceful, its participants did not hinder the traffic and the movement of pedestrians and did not interfere with the work of shops. Several minutes after the beginning of the action people in mufti and riot policemen started detaining the picketers. All in all, there were detained 31 persons.

All detainees were guarded to the Tsentralny district police department where they spent about three hours and were released without being given any charges. Some of them were videoed and unlawfully fingerprinted. The representative of the HRC Viasna U.Labkovich was present at the action in Kastrychnitskaya Square and then watched the events near the Tsentralny district police department. He questioned several persons who were released from the police department. The questioned people confirmed that the police officers used tortures towards some of the detainees. In particular, the majority of the questioned confirmed that during their stay at the police department they had to stand facing the wall and some of them were beating. For instance, the police beat the civil and political activist Mikalai Statkevich. At first they tried to make him stand with his legs wide apart and then hit him on the legs till he fell down on the floor. Many of the interrogated also confirmed hearing rape threats to the detained girls from the side of the police officers, as well as many other expressions that can be qualified as sexual harassment.

Following these events the HRC Viasna helped compose complaints to the prosecutor’s office to those who suffered because of the police lawlessness and wanted to file such complaints. Six complaints were composed and submitted to the prosecutor’s office. A prosecutorial check-up of the facts stated in these complaints is being conducted. Members of the HRC Viasna also questioned the witnesses of these events Aliona Valynets-Charniayeva and Maxim Serhiyets.

The Human Rights Center Viasna also adopted an official statement on the events of 9 September 2009. The texts of complaints of the victims and testimonies of the questioned citizens are attached.


To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
From: Serhiyets Maxim Mikalayevich, living on the address:

Minsk, Skrypnikau Street, 16-50

 

COMPLAINT

 

About unlawful actions of the police

 

On 9 September, during the period of time between 6.00-6.10 p.m. I, Serhiyets Maxim Mikalayevich, was detained by police officers in mufti for participation in unauthorized mass action in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk. Police officers did not warn the citizens present at Kastrychnitskaya Square that they would be detained if they continued the unauthorized action and did not propose them to disperse. People in civvies ran up to me from behind and started delivering blows on my legs and body without introducing themselves and explaining the reasons.

Then I was guarded to a bus. I was thrown down on the floor and several persons in the riot police uniform started kicking me in the head and body. They demanded that I lied with my head down to the floor. When I tried to raise my head, I was kicked in the head. They also used painful holds, holding my throat with simultaneous pressing on my eyes. As a result of these blows they cut my eyebrow and blood started running from it. However, they continued keeping me on the floor, periodically putting their feet on my head and body. Meanwhile, they constantly insulted me with foul language and humiliated my human dignity.

After my demands to stop the unlawful actions they twisted my arms and put them in handcuffs in such a way, that it caused a severe pain. At this time a riot police officer (later I learned it was Kruchenia Uladzimir Vasiliievich) put his foot on my hands). I was kept in this position during all the way to the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. At that time the detained citizens Alina Radachynskaya, Viktar Ivashkevich, Zmitser Barodka, Zmitser Bandarenka, Uladzimir Lemesh and Aliaksei Sianchyla were in the bus. These citizens can confirm the abovementioned facts.

When we were guarded in the Tsentralny district police department, we were told to stand facing the wall. I spent about an hour in this position. I felt very bad and asked the police officers to call an ambulance. However, they repeatedly refused to do it, though Articles 23 and 26 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus On Police oblige police officers to take measures on providing medical aid. About 16 detained citizens were present during it. Many of them also needed medical aid.

After the familiarization with the report about administrative violation and examination of my personal belongings in the hall of the Tsentralny district police department other detainees and me were again led in the corridor and put faces against the wall. We stood for about two hours more in this position. There were enough vacant seats in the hall.

It’s worth mentioning that during all our stay at the Tsentralny district police department the detainees were insulted by police officers with the use of foul language.

One of the police officers, in the rank of lieutenant, noticed that I had a string left in my coat. He brought me back to the hall and tore it out, also tearing my coat. It was accompanied with foul language and hits in the neck. Then he hit me so hard that I fell on the floor and then kicked me in the body. Aliaksei Sianchyla was in the hall at that time.

At about 2 a.m. I and other detainees were guarded to the delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street.

On 10 September 2009 I was guarded to the Tsentralny district court of Minsk for a trial on charges under Article 23.34, pat 1 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus. Before the trial other detainees and I were kept in one of the court rooms. When only A.Sianchyla, Z.Dashkevich and I were left in the room, one of the police officers, in the rank of senior lieutenant, started beating Z.Dashkevich, delivering several punches in the face with his palm. After my demands to stop the unlawful actions, the senior lieutenant hit me on the head with his walkie-talkie, and also with his palm in the right ear, insulting me with dirty swearing during it.

I think that the actions of the police officers that manifested in the use of physical violence and insults towards me were unlawful and evidently exceeded their duty powers. As a result of these actions of the police moral harm, material damage to my personal belongings and harm to my health were inflicted.

In connection with the aforementioned facts, being guided by Article 34 of the Law of Republic of Belarus On police and the Law of the Republic of Belarus On prosecutor’s office I ask to:

1. hold a prosecutorial check-up of the stated facts;

2. instigate a criminal case on these facts;

3. identify the perpetrators and punish them in conformity with the law;

4. issue to me an appointment for forensic expertise;

5. familiarize me with the results of the conducted check-up.

 

 

11 September 2009                                                                  Serhiyets M.M.

To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
From: Sianchyla Aliaksei Aliaksandravich, living on the address:

Minsk, Siadykh Street, 44-36

 

COMPLAINT

 

About unlawful actions of police officers

 

On 9 September 2009 at about 6 p.m. I was detained by the police in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk for participation in an unauthorized mass action.

 

After the detention I was guarded in a police bus. The riot policemen who were sitting there threw me down on the floor and ordered me to lie face down. When I tried to raise my head a police officer who was standing near delivered a severe kick in my head. I felt dizziness and nausea after it. Despite my complaints and the words that I had an oncologic illness, I was not allowed to stand up and sit down on a seat. I was kept lying on the floor all the way to the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk. At this time the riot policemen insulted me with foul language and allowed the remarks that insulted my human dignity. At that time the detained citizens Alina Radachynskaya, Viktar Ivashkevich, Zmitser Barodka, Zmitser Bandarenka and Uladzimir Lemesh were in the bus. These citizens can confirm the abovementioned facts.

When the detainees were guarded to the Tsentralny district police department, I was put face to the wall. I was feeling very bad because of the kick in the head, that’s why I asked to call an ambulance. It’s worth noting that all officers of the Tsentralny district police department, who were present there, did not wear any badges with surnames. They refused to call an ambulance for me. When I felt extremely bad, I asked to be led in a toilet, where I vomited. I was sitting on the floor near the wall all this time, as it was hard for me to stand. The only thing I was allowed to do is to go to the hall and sit on a sit with my head on my knees. There I again asked to call an ambulance, and got another refusal.

Meanwhile, Articles 23 and 26 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus On Police oblige police officers to take measures on providing medical aid.

At about 2 a.m. I was guarded to the delinquents’ isolation center in Akrestsin Street, where a doctor gave me a shot of analginum.

 

I think that the actions of the police officers that manifested in the use of physical violence and insults towards me were unlawful and evidently exceeded their duty powers. As a result of these actions of the police moral harm, material damage to my personal belongings and harm to my health were inflicted.

In connection with the aforementioned facts, being guided by Article 34 of the Law of Republic of Belarus On police and the Law of the Republic of Belarus On prosecutor’s office I ask to:

1. hold a prosecutorial check-up of the stated facts;

2. instigate a criminal case on these facts;

3. identify the perpetrators and punish them in conformity with the law;

4. issue to me an appointment for forensic expertise;

5. familiarize me with the results of the conducted check-up.

 

 

11 September 2009                                                                  Sianchyla A.A.

 

To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
220053, Minsk, Shchadryn Street, 1
From: Korban Aleh Mikhailavich,
living on the address:
Minsk, Traktarabudaunikou Strip, 3-51

COMPLAINT

 

About unlawful actions of police officers

 

On 16 September 2009 at 6.10 p.m. I was detained by the police at Kastrychnitskaya square of Minsk to which I came with the aim to commemorate the missing leaders of the Belarusian opposition Viktar Hanchar and Yury Zakharanka.

During the detention, when I was already in a duty bus of the regiment of the  riot police of the main police department of Minsk city executive committee, police officers in mufti started delivering multiple blows on my head, torso, legs and arms. Other police officers beat other citizens who were detained together with me. During my stay in the police bus I was put on the floor together with other citizens and guarded to the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk this way. It’s worth noting that neither I nor other detainees resisted neither during the detention nor when they were in the bus or in the building of the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk.

During the beating in the bus the police officers used foul language, threatened me with physical reprisals, and insulted my honor and dignity.

When we were taken to the Tsentralny district police department, all of us were ordered to stand facing the wall. We stood there for more than three hours. During all this time officers of the regiment of riot police and officers of the Tsentralny district police department beat the detainees, including me, from behind. They delivered blows on the legs, bodies and heads, insulted and threatened us.

At about 11 p.m. all the detainees were released from the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk without getting any charges or explanations of the reasons for the detention, which witnesses that there was not corpus delicti in our actions.

During the check-up of this complaint I am ready to provide to the prosecutor’s office information about the detained persons who suffered because of unlawful actions of the police officers so that they could be questioned as witnesses of the events that were described in the complaint.

I think that such actions of police officers grossly violate the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

1.      In particular, according to Article 4 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus On police the main task of the police is to defend the life, health, honor and dignity of citizens of the Republic of Belarus. By their criminal actions the police officers grossly violated this principle, by which the law machinery of the Republic of Belarus must be guided.

2.      By beating the detained citizens who did not resist and presented no threat to the civil security, rights and legal interests of citizens, the police officers grossly violated Article 26 of the law of the Republic of Belarus On police, that points at inadmissibility of the use of physical force in the cases when actions of citizens present no threats to life, health, honor, dignity, rights and freedoms of citizens, interests of the society and the state. The fact that neither me, nor other citizens resisted or disobeyed to the police officers during the detention and the stay in the police bus must be taken into account.

3.      The abovementioned article of the law envisages punishment in the cases of unlawful use of physical force by police officers.
On the basis of the aforementioned facts and being guided by the Law of the Republic of Belarus On the prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Belarus, I ASK TO:

1.      Hold a check-up on the facts stated in the complaint;

2.      Give a legal evaluation to the actions of officers of the regiment of the riot police of the main police department of Minsk city executive committee and the Tsentralny district police department;

3.      In the process of the check-up to give me an appointment to the forensic expertise for registering the bodily injures;

4.      Question other citizens, who were detained and kept at the Tsentralny district police department together with me;

5.      Bring the guilty persons to account in conformity with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

18 September 2009                                                               Korban A.M.

To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
220053, Minsk, Shchadryn Street, 1
From: Yuliian Valeryievich Misiukevich,
living on the address:
220028, Minsk, Romenskaya Street, 4-2

 

COMPLAINT

 

I, citizen of Republic of Belarus, was at Kastrychnitskaya Square on 16 September 2009 at about 6 p.m., in the line of the people who were holding in their hands portraits of Hanchar and Krasouski, who went missing ten years ago. According to a ruling of the Supreme Court, standing with portraits without the use of any symbols and chanting of slogans is not a mass action and therefore does not require a preliminary sanction of the Minsk city executive committee. That’s why I was very surprised when our line was immediately approached by about 40 unidentified persons in mufti and started assaulting us, also keeping in line. Several minutes later we were approached by people in black uniform with the inscription ‘riot police’. At 6.08 p.m. they started pushing us into busses in a rude form; In particular, they tore my T-shirt. None of them introduced themselves or told us the reasons for the detention. In the busses these people pushed the detainees, dirtily swore, beat some of the detained persons. They ordered two people to lie on the floor all the way to the Tsentralny district police department and demanded that everybody switched off their mobile phones.

At the police department I, like all other detainees, was not explained the reasons for the detention, my rights and obligations. Despite my insistent demands, none of the police officers introduced themselves. We were lined up facing the wall and were kept standing for three hours. In the corridor we were guarded by the riot police, who mocked at us, threatened with expulsion from educational establishments and dismissals from work, with 15-day arrests. We were in turn called to come in a room to be fingerprinted, photographed and videoed. Nobody asked our agreement or told anything about our rights or any responsibility for refusal. I refused to give my fingerprints, as I was not shown any administrative report. Then I was led in another room, where a riot policeman and a man in mufti threatened me with beating and arrest for my refusal to be fingerprinted. I insisted that there were no legal grounds for the fingerprinting. Then I was led out in a corridor, ordered to put my hands on the wall and several riot policemen tried to make me do the splits by putting my legs wide apart with their feet. It was accompanied with obscene jokes and dirty swearing. I again refused to give the fingerprints. Finally, after a talk with another man, I was fingerprinted against my will. I learned only the surname of one man – Nikitsin Andrei Uladzimiravich, who was collecting the fingerprints, though he knew about all law violations that were committed by the police and did not react to them, thus facilitating the law violations.

I was let go at about 9.25 p.m. without any process documents composed. Thus, I was groundlessly detained, kept at the Tsentralny district police department for three hours. My T-shirt was torn, I suffered an irretrievable moral trauma as a result of insults and mockery, and the main thing – I was groundlessly and forcedly fingerprinted.

In connection with the aforementioned facts

I ask you to:

-         Identify the people who unlawfully detained me, as well as the representatives of the Tsentralny district police department and the riot policemen who behaved lawlessly;

-         Conduct a check-up on the facts described in this complaint and give a legal evaluation to the actions of the police;

-         Punish the policemen guilty of the law violations (in particular, Nikitsin A.U., who is the only person whose personal data I know) in conformity with the law and the normative documents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;

-         Delete my fingerprints from the database, as they were obtained with numerous violations of the legal procedure;

-         Inform me in the legally established terms about the results of the conducted check-up and the measures taken for the punishment of the perpetrators with enumeration or provision of copies of the appropriate documents of the police department or other state organs confirming the punishment of the guilty persons.


18 September 2009                                                               Yu.V.Misiukevich

To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
From: Serhiyets Maxim Mikalayevich, living on the address:

Minsk, Skrypnikau Street, 16-50

 

COMPLAINT

 

About unlawful actions of the police

 

On 16 September 2009 I, Serhiyets Maxim Mikalayevich, was detained by riot policemen in mufti in Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk for participation in the unauthorized picket dated to the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of V.Hanchar and A.Krasouski.

After the detention I was guarded in a police bus, where I was put on a seat and told to sit without raising my head. On the way to the police department the riot policemen insulted the detainees with foul languages and allowed remarks humiliating for their human dignity.

 

When we were guarded to the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk, we were told to stand in the corridor, facing the wall. Only riot policemen were left there after the officers of the Tsentralny district police department put down our passport data. Some of the riot policemen periodically approached the detainees, asked them different questions, insulted them in different ways and beat some of them. When some police officers were passing me by, they snatched me by the pigtail and started scoffing, asking me way what for I needed it and mockingly calling me Kostya Dzyu. Then I was led in a separate room, where four or five officers grabbed me by arms and legs from all the sides. They pressed my head against the wall and cut my hair on the back of the head. Then they ordered me to put my hands on the back of the head and return to the corridor. In the corridor I took the cut hair from the inside of my collar and put it in my pocket. The detained Palina Kuryianovich and Dzmitry Kudrytski could see it. In some time an riot policeman approached me and said: ‘I see they’ve already cut, let me trim it well’. Then he took some gadget out of his pocket and pressed it against my head. I took it for an electric razor because of the sound it was making. Later Dzmitry Kudrytsky, who saw the officer doing it, explained that it was a mobile phone that for some strange reason had a recording to the sound of electric razor on it.

I am of the opinion that the actions of the police officers were unlawful, humiliating for my human dignity and can be qualified as mockery. By their actions the police officers exceeded their duty powers and inflicted moral harm to me.

In connection with the aforementioned facts, being guided by Article 34 of the Law of Republic of Belarus On police and the Law of the Republic of Belarus On prosecutor’s office I ask to:

1. hold a prosecutorial check-up of the stated facts;

2. instigate a criminal case on these facts;

3. identify the perpetrators and punish them in conformity with the law;

4. familiarize me with the results of the conducted check-up.

 

 

21 September 2009                                                                  Serhiyets M.M.

To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
220053, Minsk, Shchadryn Street, 1
From: Siarheyenka Aliaksandr Uladzimiravich,

living on the address

Minsk, Anharskaya Street, 54-37

 

COMPLAINT

 

About unlawful actions of police officers

 

On 16 September 2009 at 6.10 p.m. I was detained by the police at Kastrychnitskaya square of Minsk to which I came with the aim to commemorate the missing leaders of the Belarusian opposition Viktar Hanchar and Yury Zakharanka.

During the detention, when I was already in a duty bus of the regiment of riot police of the main police department of Minsk city executive committee, police officers in mufti started delivering multiple blows on my head, torso, legs and arms. Other police officers beat other citizens who were detained together with me. It’s worth noting that neither I nor other detainees resisted neither during the detention or when they were in the bus or in the building of Tsentralny district police department of Minsk.

During the beating in the bus the police officers used foul language, threatened me with physical reprisals and insulted my honor and dignity.

When we were taken to the Tsentralny district police department, other detainees and me were ordered to stand facing the wall. We stood there for more than three hours. During all this time officers of the regiment of riot police and officers of the Tsentralny district police department beat the detainees, including me, from behind. They delivered blows on the legs, bodies and heads, insulted and threatened us.

At about 11 p.m. other detainees and I were released from the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk without getting any charges or explanations of the reasons for the detention, which witnesses that there was not corpus delicti in our actions.

During the check-up of this complaint I am ready to provide to the prosecutor’s office information about the detained persons who suffered because of unlawful actions of the police officers so that they could be questioned as witnesses of the events that were described in the complaint.

I think that such actions of police officers grossly violate the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

4.      In particular, according to Article 4 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus On police the main task of the police is to defend the life, health, honor and dignity of citizens of the Republic of Belarus. By their criminal actions the police officers grossly violated this principle, by which the law machinery of the Republic of Belarus must be guided.

5.      By beating the detained citizens who did not resist and presented no threat to the civil security, rights and legal interests of citizens, the police officers grossly violated Article 26 of the law of the Republic of Belarus On police, that points at inadmissibility of the use of physical force in the cases when actions of citizens present no threats to life, health, honor, dignity, rights and freedoms of citizens, interests of the society and the state. The fact that neither me nor other citizens resisted or disobeyed to the police officers during the detention and the stay in the police bus must be taken into account.

6.      The abovementioned article of the law envisages punishment in the cases of unlawful use of physical force by police officers.
On the basis of the aforementioned facts and being guided by the Law of the Republic of Belarus On the prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Belarus, I ASK TO:

6.      Hold a check-up on the facts stated in the complaint;

7.      Give a legal evaluation to the actions of officers of the regiment of the riot police of the main police department of Minsk city executive committee and the Tsentralny district police department;

8.      In the process of the check-up to give me an appointment to the forensic expertise for registering the bodily injures;

9.      Question other citizens, who were detained and kept at the Tsentralny district police department together with me;

10.  Bring the guilty persons to account in conformity with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

18 September 2009                                                               Siarheyenka A.U.

 

 

 

To: Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office of Minsk
220053, Minsk, Shchadryn Street, 1
From: Stsepanenka Aliaksandr Mikalayevich,
living on the address:
Minsk, Chorny Street, 13a-5

COMPLAINT

 

About unlawful actions of police officers

 

On 16 September 2009 at 6.10 p.m. I was detained by the police at Kastrychnitskaya square of Minsk to which I came with the aim to commemorate the missing leaders of the Belarusian opposition Viktar Hanchar and Yury Zakharanka.

During the detention, when I was already in a duty bus of the regiment of riot police of the main police department of Minsk city executive committee, police officers in mufti started delivering multiple blows on my head, torso, legs and arms. Near the duty bus one of the riot policemen twisted my arm, while another one hit me in the eye with his fist. As a result of the medical examination at reception room #2 of Minsk clinical hospital I was diagnosed with ‘parаorbital hematoma on the right’. Police officers also beat other citizens who were detained together with me. In the bus I was put on the floor and was beaten all the time by police officers. I was kicked in the head and in the back. It’s worth noting that neither I nor other detainees resisted neither during the detention nor when they were in the bus or in the building of the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk.

During the beating in the bus the police officers used foul language, threatened me with physical reprisals and insulted my honor and dignity.

When we were taken to the Tsentralny district police department, other detainees and I were ordered to stand facing the wall. We stood there for more than three hours. During all this time officers of the regiment of riot police and officers of the Tsentralny district police department beat the detainees, including me, from behind. They delivered blows on the legs, bodies and heads, insulted and threatened us.

At about 11 p.m. other detainees and I were released from Tsentralny district police department of Minsk without getting any charges or explanations of the reasons for the detention, which witnesses that there was not corpus delicti in our actions.

During the check-up of this complaint I am ready to provide to the prosecutor’s office information about the detained persons who suffered because of unlawful actions of the police officers so that they could be questioned as witnesses of the events that were described in the complaint.

I think that such actions of police officers grossly violate the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

7.      In particular, according to Article 4 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus On police the main task of the police is to defend the life, health, honor and dignity of citizens of the Republic of Belarus. By their criminal actions the police officers grossly violated this principle, by which the law machinery of the Republic of Belarus must be guided.

8.      By beating the detained citizens who did not resist and presented no threat to the civil security, rights and legal interests of citizens, the police officers grossly violated Article 26 of the law of the Republic of Belarus On police, that points at inadmissibility of the use of physical force in the cases when actions of citizens present no threats to life, health, honor, dignity, rights and freedoms of citizens, interests of the society and the state. The fact that neither me, nor other citizens resisted or disobeyed to the police officers during the detention and the stay in the police bus must be taken into account.

9.      The abovementioned article of the law envisages punishment in the cases of unlawful use of physical force by police officers.
On the basis of the aforementioned facts and being guided by the Law of the Republic of Belarus On the prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Belarus, I ASK TO:

11.  Hold a check-up on the facts stated in the complaint;

12.  Give a legal evaluation to the actions of officers of the regiment of the riot police of the main police department of Minsk city executive committee and Tsentralny district police department;

13.  In the process of the check-up to give me an appointment to the forensic expertise for registering the bodily injures;

14.  Question other citizens, who were detained and kept at the Tsentralny district police department together with me;

15.  Bring the guilty persons to account in conformity with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

 

18 September 2009                                                               Stsepanenka A.M.

 

 

Testimony of Maxim Serhiyets, resident of Minsk. Recorded on 18 September 2009

That day, after the detention in Kastrychnitskaya Square, we were taken to the Tsentralny district police department. In the bus by which we were taken there we were prohibited to raise our heads, move and talk. However, I was lucky enough to sit, not lie with my face down to the floor, that’s why I could see that when the bus approached, the police officers (majors and sergeants) who were standing near the building, started unfastening the badges with their names and hiding them in their pockets. By the way, on the bus floor I also saw the broken glasses of one guy; his face was smashed as well. His name is Stsiapan (I don’t remember his surname).

We were guarded into the police department through the enclosed court. First they brought us to the hall, where we switched off and left our mobile phones. Then all of us, 35 people, were led out and lined up facing the wall. Later Mikhas Pashkevich was brought here as well.

Policemen in mufti put down our passport data and went away. Only riot policemen in black uniform remained there. Then the beating started. They beat Mikola Statkevich, and made one guy, who was standing behind me near the opposite wall; bend a crab with his legs wide apart. Statkevich was beaten all the time on the neck and head.

They mocked at the girls. Palina Kuryianovich was standing near me. They addressed her in a most humiliating way: ‘Palina, dear, let’s go walk with us’.

During three hours we were kept near the wall. Some were brought to another room to be fingerprinted.

Half an hour before we were released one by one, they started clinging to me. I had long hair, tied in a pigtail, about 15 centimeters. They started asking: ‘what’s that, what for do you need it?’ Then I was led in a separate room, where there were four or five officers, who grabbed me by arms and legs from all the sides. They pressed my head to the wall and cut my hair. They continued mocking in the corridor. One of them imitated an electric shaver, like he was shaving the back of my head, but I could not see whether it was true or not. At the end of our standing the deputy head of the police department Hryshchanka came and stated: ‘Now turn all your attention on me. Spread your legs wide apart and put your hands on the back of your heads. When one’s surname is called – he must go out!’ That’s how all of us were released.

22 September 2009
Questioning of Alena Valynets by Valiantsin Stefanovich

On 16 September 2009 my friends and me came to Kastrychnitskaya Square to take part in an action of solidarity with the missing politicians. In about 15 minutes the riot police started dispersing the action. Many of them (about one hundred by my estimates) ran up. The policemen intimidated the action participants, started beating and pushing them into busses.

The action participants were quiet. At first they were standing with portraits of the missing in their hands. When they saw the threat from the side of the riot police, they sat down on the asphalt. In about five minutes, when the warnings about the necessity to disperse started, the riot police began using physical violence. As far as I could see, they did not use any police gear and beat the people with their hands only. Then we were put into a bus, where the riot policemen were quite calm, but insistently and rudely asked everybody to switch off the mobile phones. Then we were brought to the police station and were led into a room, where we spent just several minutes. Then we were told to go out in the corridor one by one and stand facing the wall, with our hands on the back. At that time there were riot policemen and officers of the police department. I looked at some of them, but did not see any badges on their uniform. When one of the detainees asked an officer of the police department to introduce himself, the latter very rudely answered he would not do it and ordered the guy to turn to the wall and keep silent.

Then they started coming up to those who were standing near the wall to copy their surnames from the passports. We were kept there for three hours. During this time the policemen were threatening to those who were standing near the wall and demanded that they did not talk to one another. When somebody whispered anything, they started using physical violence, hitting the people on the legs and making them stand with legs wide apart. I remember quite well that they beat Statkevich and other guys who were whispering to their neighbors. Statkevich stood silently. It seems to me they started beating him on some order. Some policemen, whom I could not see well enough, were walking behind the people’s backs and threatened with rape to the girls who were standing there. They were saying: let’s choose one of those standing there and take her to the nearest room…

Some officials from the administration of the police department were present during our three-hour standing near the wall. They watched what was happening and complained that they needed to be at home already, but instead had to spend extra time at work because of the dolts like us.

We were let go after 9 p.m.