Coordinator of BPF Youth Ales Kalita Beaten into Unconsciousness and Imprisoned for 7 Days, Its Member Anastasiia Aleksandrovich Released Till Trial Appointed to 1 February
In the evening of 12 January the riot squad police detained the coordinator of the BPF Youth Ales Kalita near the College of Lawyers of Savetski borough of Minsk, where he intended to conclude an agreement with a lawyer for advocatory services to Anastasiia Aleksandrovich who was detained the same day before him. Ales Kalita was detained by the policemen Labkouski, Shaparenka and two more, whose surnames remain unknown. The policemen didn’t introduce themselves, that’s why Ales wanted to run to a police station that was situated nearby, but one of the policemen kicked him with his foot and Kalita fell on the ground. Then four of them started kicking him at once. Then they pulled him into their car and continued the beating with the use of truncheon. While in the car the activist could hear one of the policemen speak on walkie-talkie that ‘Ales Kalita from list #2 was detained”. It means that the police had previously composed ‘black lists’ of those whom they were to detain. They beat him till he fell unconscious. In their report the policemen accused Mr. Kalita of using foul words and non-reacting to their remarks.
In the police department of Savetski district of Minsk with the help of sal ammoniac the activist was brought round. In the office of the investigator he was handcuffed to a chair.
When he felt worse again, policemen had to call in an ambulance. In the 9th hospital of Minsk Ales Kalita was diagnosed ‘bruises of head, chest and shank soft tissue’. He was recommended to consult a surgeon. However, from the police department Ales Kalita was taken back to the police department of Savetski district of Minsk. Then he was placed to a detention center in Akrestsin Street.
At today`s trial the young activist was charged with violation of the article #156 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). The same policemen, Shaparenka and Labkouski, alleged that Kalita cursed in their presence. The judge of Savetski district of Minsk Savastsian hasn’t taken into consideration that the activist was beaten up by policemen, ignored the conclusion of doctors and sentenced the activist to 7 days of jail.
Anastasiia Aleksandrovich was kept in the detention center for two days as well. On 15 January Minsk Frunzenski borough court tried Anastasiia Aleksandrovich who received the same charges. However, the policemen who didn’t take part in her detention came to the trial as witnesses. As a result the trial was postponed to 1 February and the girl was released.
A human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich commented: ‘In this case the authorities repeated the scenario of preventive detentions on some lists, which was demonstrated well enough during the presidential election. The detentions were also conducted in the regions. It is not known however what they tried to prevent this time. Speaking about the case of Ales Kalita it is a completely illegal detention with use of violence. The severe beating in the police car can be considered as a torture. I think there are enough reasons for applying to prosecutor’s office and demand a criminal case for abuse of powers be brought against the policemen.’
