News on the topic: torture
02.12.2020 A bartender talks about his 3-day arrest. Survivor stories
In 15 minutes, a police van arrived. They took us out of the bus, put us against the wall, told us to raise our hands above our heads and stand like that. A very aggressive riot policeman came out of the police van and started swearing and throwing detainees into the vehicle.
30.11.2020 "A riot policeman sat on me in the police van and exclaimed: 'Look at my nice chair!'" Survivor stories
Andrei Viarshenia was brutally pulled out of his car by riot policemen on the night of August 11, when he was driving his friends home past the Riga shopping center. He was being beaten all the way to the detention center and after, until he lost consciousness. The man shared his detention story with "Viasna".
25.11.2020 "They threw my skateboard away and told me I feigned a broken arm." Survivor stories
Ivan told "Viasna" the details of what happened: during the detention, his arm was broken and no ambulance was called, even when he reported a heart condition. The doctor at Žodzina detention center said that his arm was fine because it had not swollen up. The guy received medical attendance only after the trial.
23.11.2020 "I had to take down my pants and stand in my underwear in the middle of the hall." Survivor stories
"Nothing was going on, no chains of solidarity or protests. Suddenly they ran up to me, lowered my head, put me on a parapet, and then loaded me into a minibus. I can hardly call it detention, it was rather kidnapping.”
19.11.2020 Arrested anarchist suffers Chechnya-style torture, lawyer says
Mikalai Dziadok, blogger and journalist of the Novy Chas weekly, who describes himself as an anarchist, was arrested on November 12 near the city of Salihorsk, 120 km south of Minsk. A video released by the Interior Ministry the following day shows the humiliated and beaten activist confessing to “plotting to overthrow the government.”
18.11.2020 "Riot policeman took another baton and said: 'I wanted to be a drummer all my life.'" Survivor stories
Around 9 pm on August 10, 29-year-old Minsk resident Anton [name changed – editor's note] was seeing his friend home. The couple were in a tram when five masked riot policemen ran inside.
16.11.2020 "They broke my ribs and found me guilty." Survivor stories
We were sitting with heads lowered and hands behind our heads. It seemed like I had got into some movie. The riot policemen were rudely speaking to us all the time. They said: 'So you want freedom? Do you need change? Do you lack anything? We will show you another life now!'
16.11.2020 Position of Belarusian human rights organizations on the death of Raman Bandarenka
Numerous video footage of the incident and testimonies by eyewitnesses allow us to conclude that officers of special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus were involved in the crime with a high degree of probability.
13.11.2020 "When they looked at my ID, the beating became softer." Survivor stories
Minsk resident Piotr Kiryk was detained at about midnight on August 12 when he was getting off a bus with a friend (between Malinaŭka and Piatroŭščyna metro stations). The boy was 16 years old (17 at the moment), but this did not stop the riot police from using force against him.
10.11.2020 Rape threats and "shared responsibility". Survivor stories
Some 10 minutes later another van arrived and they threw me there, face against the wall and hands behind my back. There were about 10 people in the cage, including a girl – she was detained because she had bandages and cotton wool in her bag. She was psychologically pressured and cursed.
13.10.2020 "You have thrown Molotovs!" they said and hit us with a Taser." Survivor stories
23-year-old Ihar Kviatko was detained on August 11 in a taxi. The Minsk resident told Viasna about what happened next. When interviewed, Ihar was unable to sit because of his injuries.
10.10.2020 "They started beating me again and said: 'This is a refill for you!'" Survivor stories
26-year-old Minsk resident Aliaksandr Lukyanski was returning home from work at night on August 11. He knew that people in the city were going to peaceful protests, so he decided to take a taxi.
08.10.2020 Human rights activists present report on human rights situation after August 9 election
On Thursday, October 8, representatives of the Belarusian human rights coalition presented a report entitled “Belarus After Election”, which contains information about the human rights situation in Belarus in the post-election period. The experts focused on the rights to life, personal freedom and humane treatment, as well as freedom from torture. The report also touches on violations of the rights of journalists and children.
07.10.2020 "A paramedic came and started beating people." Survivor stories
18-year-old Illia was detained on August 11 near Pushkinskaya metro station when he was driving to his native city. He told Viasna how inhumanely he was treated and beaten in the police department and in the detention center in Akrescin Street.
06.10.2020 Belarusian human rights activists submit report to OSCE Moscow Mechanism
A coalition of human rights organizations has prepared a report on human rights violations in Belarus in the post-election period. The report has been submitted to a rapporteur appointed under the OSCE Moscow Mechanism.
