Belgium national to appeal illegal arrest by Belarusian police

Today, on 27 May, a Belgium citizen Adrien Baudouin lodged a complaint with Minsk Maskouski Court, appealing against illegal actions by the police on 17 May, when he was illegally detained together with other participants of an educational event – screening of a film.

The youth is indignant at the police’s actions and reports serious abuse of his rights in the complaint:

‘The police did not react to our demands to give their names and explain the reasons for the film’s ban. It was only some time after when one of the policemen said that one of us allegedly looked like a criminal. I showed my passport and they gave it back to me. Then they escorted us out of the room, searched our bags outside the building and forced us to switch off our mobile phones, threatening with violence and using foul language.’

‘At the police department they took our passports, some of us, including me, were taken out for conversations to the person, who was in charge of the detention and did not give his name. Then I was taken to a room, were they fingerprinted and videotaped me, although I did not agree to that. At around 22.00 I was released without explanations or apologies.’

Adrien Baudouin urges the court to find the policemen’s actions illegal and force them make formal apologies.