One of the Protest March organizers, famous human rights defender and journalist Valery Schukin, brutally beaten by police during the April 19 rally dispersal, was delivered this morning from the military hospital to the Okrestina confinement center, Schukin’s relatives were told by the hospital’s workers. This morning the medics told Charter’97 press-center that Valery Schukin had severe spinal, waist and ribcage injuries. In such a heavy condition a 60-year old human rights defender will stay in the detention center till Monday, April 22, when he will stand trial.

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Employees of the special confinement center in Okrestina street refused to accept food parcels for the arrested participants of the April 19 Protest March “CAN’T LIVE LIKE THAT!”. As we previously reported, at the moment around 65 are still held in custody there. Charter’97 civil initiative, in accordance with the existing legislation, prepared 54 food parcels for them, 15 kilos each. However, police guards categorically refused to take them, referring to a concomitant order from the Minsk city hall.

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ZUBR human rights service reports that 65 participants of the yesterday’s Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” were delivered to the Okrestina confinement center from the Sovietsky police station of Minsk. Among them are: famous Belarusian filmmaker Yuri Khaschevatsky, human rights defender, Charter’97 coordinator Dmitry Bondarenko, artist and journalist Nikolai Khalezin. At the very last moment Dmitry Bondarenko told the Charter’s press-center that they convoyed off 40 people to Okrestina, most of who suffer from bruises and injuries. Six people were hospitalized with brain concussion signs. Among them – prominent professor Nikolai Savitsky. This very old man couldn’t move after police tortures and medics had to pick him up by his armpits and take out of the police station.
new photos

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One of the Protest March “Can’t Live Like That Anymore!” organizers Valery Schukin, beaten by police unconscious, is currently placed in the military hospital, guarded by police. A 60-year old military pensioner cannot walk on his own. They carry him on a wheelchair. According to preliminary data he suffers from bad spinal injury.

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