Observer To Give a Lesson To Police For Slander And Torn Backpack

Observer Maya Naumava was detained in the evening on September 11 after the voting stations had been closed.

The activist was detained after she came out of the voting station #623 of the Kalinouski electoral district together with Leanid Kulakou.

She was charged with public intoxication, and after the detention they made one more administrative offence charge under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code “disobedience to the legal demand of an official”. The observer spent a night in the police department where they transferred her from cell to cell several times, informs the website spring96.org.

The policemen also took Maya Naumava to a medical examination, but no traces of alcohol were recorded. When an observer asked for and went to the toilet, a police officer broke in after some time. He accused Maya of an attempt to escape, twisted her arms and handcuffed the lady. They removed the handcuffs only in the police department when it was necessary to sign the documents.

During personal examination, Police Captain A.Plotnikava pulled the detainee’s backpack so hard she practically torn it. Moreover, only one attending witness was present during the personal search, while the protocol claims there were two: Victoria Ramanchuk and Tatsiana Homazava. Maya Navumava assessed the damage for the torn backpack as Bn 50-60, and filed a corresponding complaint to the Head of the Administration for Internal Affairs of the Pershamaiski district of Minsk.

In the morning on September 12, judge Harbatouski considered Maya Naumava guilty of disobedience at a mobile session, basing on the testimonies given by the policemen who detained her – E. Atok and A. Tytsik. However, the detainee pleaded innocent and clarified that when two policemen approached her and demanded she should go with them, she did not resist but followed them. Nevertheless, the court resolved to subject Maya Naumava to administrative responsibility in the form of a one-day detention, which the observer had already served.

Maya Naumava did not agree with such court’s decision and submitted a complaint to Minsk city court, asking to abolish the resolution and send the case for reconsideration. Also, the observer addressed to the Investigatory Committee and went through a medical examination to record bodily injuries, caused by the policemen.