Metamorphoses in the case of "petty hooligan" Sviatlana Viarheichyk

Police beat pensioner Sviatlana Viarheichyk during detention more than 8 months ago. Since that time she has been keeping correspondence with the law machinery, trying to restore justice and draw to legal account the officers of the Kastrychnitski District Police Department of Minsk who had inflicted bodily injuries to her.

On 17 March senior investigator of the Kastrychnitski District Department of the Investigative Committee Pudau refused to bring a criminal case against police officers A.Pazniak, I.Kin and A.Kazlou "because of the absence of corpus delicti".

The Kastrychnitski District Procuracy of Minsk had given the same answer back in August 2011, though as a result of the prosecutorial inspection (at which a video of the detention was studied) it was found that the deputy head of the preliminary investigation department Pazniak had unlawfully used force, seizing the woman at her arms. According to the diagnosis of Minsk hospital #9, where the woman was taken from the Kastrychnitski DPD, it resulted in "bruises of the chest and the right forearm" and "a functional disorder of nervous system", as a result of which she was taken to the hospital.

The victim appealed against the refusal of the district procuracy to instigate a criminal case at the city procuracy. In February the latter reversed the ruling of the district procuracy due to the incomplete character of the initial inspection and directed the case for an additional inspection by the Investigative Committee.

However, in his answer officer of the Investigative committee, major Pudau, writes that, as it was found as a result of forensic study on 15 March 2012 (eight months after the incident!) the bruise on the right forearm of the victim which "was inflicted by a blunt item, belongs to the category of light injuries which didn't ensue short-term health disorders". He also writes that the Invstigative Committee studied copies of the conclusion of the inspection held by the Kastrychnitski District Procuracy of Minsk. However, he tells nothing about the results of the inspection and states that she can familiarize with them at the Kastrychnitski district department of the Investigative Committee. But... one can surely predict these conclusions, as, according to the paper, Pudau's answer was agreed with his boss, (attention!), A.Pazniak, one of those who beat the woman.

On Sunday, 10 March, shortly before receiving this document, the woman was visited by a police inspector, who asked with who she shared the apartment and what questions she had to the investigative committee. "I told him that I wouldn't answer such questions without receiving official summons. In response, the police officer insulted me by calling me "inadequate," the woman wrote in her statement to senior investigator Pudau, stating that she considered this visit as psychological pressurization in response to her appeals against the unlawful actions of the police. "There weren't found any facts witnessing unlawful actions of local police inspector Sirotsin D.V., he acted within the legally provided powers," writes major Pudau.

While the woman was trying to draw the policemen to legal account, the Kastrychnitski District Court of Minsk decided to exact the fine of 700,000 rubles (about $ 85) to which she had been sentenced on 2 September 2011, for alleged "disorderly conduct" during the detention. Though the ruling was reversed by Minsk City Court, a part of the fine was exacted from Sviatlana's pension.

As a result, the woman had to apply to the Kastrychnitski District Court concerning the unlawful exaction of the money. On 30 March the Sviatlana Viarheichyk had a telephone call with court marshal Slabkevich, who proposed her to revoke the application in response for returning the money. However, the woman refused to do it.