Customs Officer Yurkoyt Told At Trial About Tortures In KGB Prison

The trial of 11 Ashmiany customs officers, who are accused of bribery, lasts at the Partyzanski district court of Minsk for the third week.

On December 6, the court proceeded to interview witnesses.

At the same time the trials of other customs officers are held at the Kastrychnitski, Frunzenski and Minsk regional courts.

Ales Yurkoyt filed a complaint about virtual tortures during the investigation in the KGB inner prison (the so-called "Amerikanka") to the Partyzanski district court, Radio Svaboda reports.

According to Yurkoyt, the guards did not allow him to rest properly, banging with batons in the cell door for three consecutive nights, blinding him with light. According to him, he was put pressure on in order to make him plead guilty.

By the way, Yurkoyts pleaded not guilty. He said that he had an animus toward his former colleague Seiarhei Chepin, who told investigators he had funneled money to Yurkoyts three times.

As journalists note, the investigation incriminates more than 12 thousand dollars of bribe to Yurkoyts. But only three fact of funneling money are mentioned in the case, and this is about 1000 dollars. One observer expressed the view that the investigators had simply counted how many cars with flowers Yurkoyts registered in a definite time, and the evidence of possible violations have not yet been announced.