Mother of deceased Aliaksandr Akulich has been seeking punishment of prison guards for three years already

Three years have passed since the death of Aliaksandr Akulich while serving an administrative arrest term at Svietlahorsk temporary detention facility. Investigative and court bodies continue forwarding the appeals of his mother for instigation of a criminal case against the guards of the detention facility. Valiantsina Akulich doesn't give up.

In late May, the woman received another formal reply from the Prosecutor's Office of the Homieĺ region, where he appealed with the demand to cancel the decision of the Svietlahorsk District Department of the Investigative Committee, which had refused to institute criminal proceedings on July 7, 2015. Deputy Prosecutor Henadz Ramaniuk wrote, that her appeal was dismissed.

"The inspection of Svietlahorsk temporary detention facility has been conducted fully, comprehensively and objectively. There are no grounds for cancellation of the process decision, taken by the investigator on July 2, 2015,” writes the deputy prosecutor.

However, the fact remains clear: the duty policemen of the temporary detention facility Bachko and Stseshankou were to have immediately call an ambulance for rendering aid to the detainee Akulich, who needed it, but didn't receive it. Neither the Police Department of Homieĺ Regional Executive Committee nor the appropriate department of the Investigative Committee haven't established a violation of the current legislation on the part of the police officers.

Meanwhile, human rights activists of "Viasna", who assist Valiantsina Akulich in compiling the appeals, keep the provisions of the regulations governing the activities of police officers.

Thus, the internal regulations of temporary detention facilities of internal affairs bodies read as follows:

"... In accordance with p. 85 of the Regulations, it is prohibited to place in the special facilities persons with symptoms of acute mental, infectious and other acute diseases requiring an urgent medical care."

"In accordance with the internal regulations of temporary detention facilities of internal affairs bodies, approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Belarus of October 20, 2003 № 234, urgent (emergency) medical assistance to persons in custody, is rendered by the ambulance, affiliated with the state health care organizations. The use of the detained persons as doctors, paramedics and nurses is prohibited. Where necessary, the administration of the temporary detention facility invites medics of the internal affairs bodies or state health care organizations for rendering medical aid and consultations.”

"Failure to provide a person with the necessary and obviously urgent aid in a life-threatening condition, if it could be rendered by the guilty without danger to his life or health or the life or health of others, or failure to inform appropriate institutions or persons of the need to render such aid is a crime and entails criminal liability".

These moments are indicated in the appeal of the mother of the deceased to the regional prosecutor's office.

Moreover, as indicated by human rights activists, the investigator ignored and didn't assess evidence in the case, which appear to be lost (according to the explanations of the representative of the Investigative Committee in the court): samples of a brown substance (evidently, blood) were taken from the walls of the interrogation room. During the inspection, it wasn't checked whether this blood belonged to Aliaksandr Akulich. The presence of traces of his blood on the walls of the interrogation room can affect the assessment of the testimonies of the employees of the temporary isolator. As found by the judge during the trial, hadn't been attached to the case materials.

Valiantsina Akulich appeals the dismissal of her appeal to the prosecutor of the Homieĺ region.