Riot police beat Mahilou resident

Artsiom Batura from Mahilou wants the riot police officers, who beat him at a police station, to be punished.

The young man complained to the Investigation Committee about two riot police officers, but the committee says they didn't beat him, but only detained for drinking beer in a public place. Batura doesn't agree with this opinion. He is going to file a complaint to a prosecutor's office. The incident became known only after the guy contacted human rights defenders, BelaPAN news agency reports.

Artsiom Batura was detained on Soviet Square with a bottle of beer. He says police officers accused him of drinking alcohol in public. He and his friend were taken to a police station, where the man was beaten.

“I got a kick to the back of the knee and fell down. A police officer began to beat me. I was lying on the floor covering my head with my hands. My friend asked them not to beat me strongly. They began to beat him too. The first policeman apparently thought I didn't get enough and punched me four times in the chest. The second police officer joined him,” Batura said.

The man says the policemen made a report and left. His friend, who was allowed to leave the police station, told Artsiom's parents about his whereabouts. Batura's father came to take his son home. Batura wanted medical confirmation of bodily harm, but he felt bad at the Leninski district police department. He was taken to a first-aid station and then to hospital. Artsiom says he was diagnosed with brain concussion at the first-aid station and with numerous bruises at hospital.

Artsiom's mother called an ambulance to the police department. According to her, injuries were described in the medical record:

“We have the record saying our son has a head injury, the bruised sternum and numerous bruises on body.”