Detained ‘Young Front’ activist complains about police boundlessness

At 12.45 a.m. Uladzimir Yaromenka, a Young Front activist, was detained by the police near the Kamarouski market in Minsk for posting stickers.

After the detention, the activist lodged a complaint with the Savetski District Procuracy that is presented to your interest.


COMPLAINT

I, a citizen of the Republic of Belarus, was detained by officers of the Tsentralny District Police Department of Minsk (one of whom is Khotylieu Siarhei Viktaravich) at the crossing of Kharuzhai and Bahdanovich Streets. I was guarded to the Tsentralny DPD. On the way there I voluntary passed to them the stickers that I had in my hands. At the DPD, my belongings were searched by other policemen, who composed neither a detention report, nor a search report, thus violating Article 8.5 of the Process Executive Code of the Republic of Belarus on Administrative Offences.

Then I was guarded to the police station of the Savetski DPD in Ya.Kolas alley, 15, where a violation report under Article 21.14, part 2 (violation of the urban maintenance rules) was drawn up against me. I admitted my guilt and was issued with a copy of the report. However, then I was led to a ‘boss’, as one of the policemen said. The official examined my belongings once again, and confiscated from me the following things without composing a confiscation report:

1. 50 cm long metallic ruler;
2. one glue tube;
3. 200 stickers from a pocket of my bag.

He also tried to seize my sleeping bag, but I didn’t give it to him.

I should add that he also took away my copy of the search report saying that I didn’t need it and tore it into pieces. The time and place of the sitting of the local administration commission on my case were indicated in this document, that’s why now I am deprived of the opportunity to attend it, because I don’t possess this information any longer. Moreover, the report is a process guarantee of my rights.

I would like to draw a special attention to the fact that the chief behaved impolitely, insulted me, threatened with beating and used obscene language, thus violating Order #1 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of 1 January 2005 and Article 17.1 of the Administrative Code.


I ASK YOU TO:

1. identify the head of the police station and give a legal evaluation to his actions. As far as these violations were committed by a duty official, I ask not to send it to the DPD, but to consider it within the guidelines of a prosecutorial check-up or at the MIA’s own security department;

2. return me the confiscated things;

 

3. draw the police officers who are guilty of the violations to the legal account in conformity with the law and the legal acts of MIA;

4. Inform me in the legal terms about the results of the conducted check up and the measures taken for the punishment of the guilty persons with mentioning or attaching copies of the appropriate documents of MIA or other agencies confirming the punishment of the guilty.

1 July 2010, Minsk