Crimes At Belarusian Border May Open Death Toll :: Charter'97 :: News

“Recently I suffered a tragedy at the Belarusian-Polish border and badly need mass media help, so that the arbitrariness and lawlessness, which I witnessed, weren’t left unpunished. I’ve got a brain tumor. On my way to Poland, where I headed for surgery, the Belarusian customs confiscated my money for operation. I’m losing eyesight every day and will stand justice soon,” – such a heartbreaking letter was mailed to Charter’97 press-center by Russian national Elena Valeryevna Voinova.

Following goes the full text of the letter:

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

Recently I suffered a tragedy at the Belarusian-Polish border and badly need mass media help, so that the arbitrariness and lawlessness, which I witnessed, weren’t left unpunished.

I, Russian national with 2nd group disability, was traveling to Poland in a company of my son and his wife for medical examination and treatment there. I’ve got brain tumor. We somehow managed to gather means, necessary for operation, by selling winter clothes and car. I had a permission to transport hard currency, but at the customs office it turned out that one of my declarations is outdated and there were 45 dollars more in my purse, than mentioned in the customs declaration. Not listening to my explanations, the officer rudely forced me off the train as if I were criminal.

I won’t go into every detail of humiliations, which I experienced. They filed a protocol and opened lawsuit against me, having confiscated for no clear reason my 445 dollars and fined me 210 dollars. They summoned me to Grodno court for June 16, hoping that my poor health won’t allow me to come. However, I determined to give it a try and come to the courtroom from Poland. The thing is, I’m now lacking money for surgery and this is my only hope. But, knowing our judiciary, I pretty well realize that I have little chances of getting the money back, if press doesn’t intervene.

I have never been to Grodno before and have no acquaintances in Belarus, so my son will be accompanying me there. This isn’t the only reason, though: due to the illness I’m losing sight on an every day basis and can hardly orient myself. What scares most is the fact that no laws are being observed in Belarus and the situation deteriorates every day. I have the following concrete questions to the state structures:

1. Why do Russian citizens suffer from arbitrary and demonstrative persecution at the Belarusian-Polish border?

2. Who bears responsibility for the observation of laws in the common customs zone of Russia and Belarus?

3. Why does the incompetence of Grodno-2 customs, their lawlessness, drunkenness and extortions do not bother at all the leadership?

4. Who will answer in my particular case for the material and physical damage I incurred from them?

5. How come they consider any traveler to be a violator of law, ignoring the fact that a person by accident wrongly filled out the declaration form? Or they simply want a bribe?

Questions are so many but can anyone answer to them?

This is real life-and-death issue, for I have no more money for treatment. I address all journalists, who still care what’s going on in this world, pleading with them to visit my Grodno trial, scheduled for 12 o’clock June 14. Address: Pushkina str. 47 (Oktyabrsky court) and write a report about this nightmare, which will hopefully not happen to anyone else.

Thanks for support in advance. With respect, Voinova Elena Valeryevna eto72@yahoo.com