Riot militiamen beat young people in court

Zmiter Hvedaruk was beaten brutally when being detained in the court of the Central district.

He left the court of the Central district together with other visitors. Yesterday the youth activists detained on 16 January, the Solidarity Day, ha trials there. When leaving the court, Hvedaruk was caught by militiamen and thrown into a militia car. He struck his head against the floor of the car, but his legs were outside, and then the militiamen began to shove him into the car, Radio Svaboda reports.

Girls and parents of the arrested began to shout in the street to save the boy. Militiamen didn’t allow anybody to come close to the car. It’s unknown in what condition Zmiter is.

He has recently left the hospital, where he was recovering from head injury he had received during the crackdown of the demonstration “For Independence!” on 12 December.

Zmiter Hvedaruk was guarded to the militia department of the Central district of Minsk, and then to the special prison facility on Akrestin Street. There Mikita Shutyankou, activist of the civil campaign “For Freedom”, caught earlier in the court building, is kept. They are to have trials today.

Mikola Sergiyenka, member of the United Civil Party phoned to his friends and said he was watched by militia. Later he phoned again and said he was followed by people in civvies. After that he didn’t answer the phone. Mikola Sergiyenka’s friends think he has been detained and is kept in prison on Akrestin Street, too.