Why are Minsk militia chiefs lying? (Photo, video)

17.08.2010, 12:23

Despite hundreds of witnesses and evidence of the arrested the head of the Main Militia Directorate of the Minsk city executive committee and his spokesman say that “nobody was detained” on August 16.

General-Mayor Leanid Farmahei, the head of the Main Militia Directorate of the Minsk city executive committee , told journalist after the action “We Demand International Investigation of the Disappeared Persons’ Cases!” and detention of its participants on August 16:

“We estimate that there was an attempt of provocation by opposition activist Yauhen Afnahel. Afnahel agitated the youth wing and tried to imitate detention. We regard this as an attempt of provocation. Nobody was detained,” Interfax-Zapad news agency quotes the main militia directorate head.

Chief of the press service of the Main Militia Directorate Alyaksandr Lastouski said the same:

“We’ll give legal estimation of the action participants. That’s why we film such events. The participants of this action violated the ban of the Minsk city executive committee. Everyone can see that the militia was loyal and detained nobody.”

Nevertheless, riot militia officers guarded 8 participants of the action to the Pershamaiski district militia department. The Belarusian and foreign media repotted about this. That’s what charter97.org learnt from the detainees themselves.

Yauhen Afnahel, an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign:

“It’s not the first time when the militia is lying, hundreds of opposition activists have been fiend and thrown behind bars on fabricated accusations.

It is clear that ordinary militiamen take the behavior of their commanders as a model.

The words of Leanid Farmahei, who said I had imitated my detention, are blatant lies. This can be confirmed by participants of the action and officers of the Pershamaiski district militia department where I and other detainees spent more than two hours. The militia chiefs may not know what their officers do.

I was detained at 6:30 pm, when I was walking to the participants to tell them the action was over and they should go. When I reached the end of the human chain near Brouka Street I was attacked from behind by plainclothes militiamen. They twisted my arms and threw me into a minibus. Then two other action participants were pushed into the bus. We drove around the city quarter and then Pavel Yukhnevich in torn clothes was thrown into the bus. We arrived in the Pershamaiski district militia department. A questioning report was drawn up, we were searched. Those who hadn’t been fingerprinted before underwent this procedure. We were not allowed to use our cell phones. When we asked what we could expect, militiamen said they were waiting for someone’s order. We were released three hours later.”

Maksim Serhiets, an activist of the European Belarus campaign:

“We are going to leave the site after the action was over and noticed two plainclothes riot militiamen following us. Andrei Mauchan and I were attacked. The riot militiamen threw us into a minibus, hit us several times. We saw Afnahel inside. We were driving around the district and heard riot militiamen talking who and where were detained. We understood they had instructions about concrete persons they had to arrest. Then Yukhnevich was pushed into the bus. We were guarded to the Pershmaiski district militia department, searched. Portraits of the disappeared and a banner “We Demand International Investigation!” were seized.

Andrei Mauchan, an activist of the European Belarus campaign:

“We were walking from the Academy of Science when we heard riot militiamen talking on their walkie-talkies. Then we heard a shout “Stop!”. We were attacked. Other plainclothes militiamen ran to us. We were surrounded from all sides like wolves. We were thrown into a bus, seized our passports and taken to the Pershamaiski district militia department. We were searched two times, at first by people in mufti and then in a mayor’s office in the militia department. I also gave explanations there. When I was questioned, they wanted me to say that I had heard riot militiamen shouting “Stop! Militia!”. But in real fact they just ordered to stop and didn’t introduce. So, militiamen had to write down in the report I had been detained by persons without uniform and badges.”

Pavel Yukhnevich, an activist of the European Belarus civil campaign:

“Twenty minutes after the action had begun, deputy head of the Minsk militia of public security Mayor Hryshanka talked to everybody who had signed an application for holding a demonstration and meeting “We Demand International Investigation!” on August 16 and threatened with responsibility. I explained it wasn’t the event we had applied for. That action was banned, but people just came out with portraits of the disappeared Belarusians that didn’t violate any laws. People in mufti began to come closer to Yauhen Afnahel and me.

Afnahel was arrested. When they tried to kidnap me (I cannot say it was detention!), people near me came to help me. Yu know, militiamen were puzzled because there were more pickers than militia officers and we were together. It was a moment when the people who helped me to avoid arrest felt solidarity, a feeling that is being killed in the Belarusians. There are lots of us!

Militiamen tore my clothes as they were trying to detain me, I had a large bruise on my arm. Thirty minutes later, when I was walking to Chalyuskintsau Park and was going to take a taxi, four men in mufti ran up to me, one of them showed me his certificate of a riot militia officer. I was thrown into a bus where I saw Afnahel and other detained people. There were eight of us in the militia department. At first we were seven, but later another man joined us. An ordinary Minsk dweller, he stood with portrait for 1.5 hours. It was his first street action. ‘I read about this on the Internet and decided to go. Because I’m fed up with it!’ he explained. This man made a step forward a free country. He’s overcome his fear. I felt much better at that moment. People are waking up.”