Baranavichy: beaten and fined
On 30 August 2011 the Baranavichy Town
and District Court fined civil activist Aliaksandr Vaitseshyk for
insubordination to lawful demands of police officer (Article 23.4 of the Code
of Administrative Offenses).
On 27 July Aliaksandr's mother recklessly opened the door to a stranger. As it
was found later, it was police major Aliaksandr Pakhanovich, who came to
repeatedly take Vaitseshyk's fingerprints. He burst into the apartment. When
Aliaksandr Vaitseshyk came home, he asked the man to introduce himself. In
response the policeman said that it was him who would ask questions. As a
result, Mr. Vaitseshyk tried to call the police.
The policeman assaulted him, started twisting his arms and delivering blows.
The victim registered the beating – according to the results of the expertise,
he was hit in the head and in the trunk for about 22 times. The policemen, in
his turn, claims that Vaitseshyk hit him 5 times.
Predictably enough, the court took the side of the policeman and fined the
civil activist for “insubordination to lawful demands of a police officer”.
