Militia has beaten up people for political prisoners’ portraits :: Charter'97 :: News

Svyatlagorsk inhabitant Natallia Bordak and a seventeen-year-old young man Arseni Yagorchanka were detained at the militia station on suspicion of hanging out the portraits of a political prisoner Alyaksandr Kazulin. The fact was reported by the belngo.info. According to the young man, he was beaten up by the militiaman Yaugen Kislyakou. Personal search of Natallia Bordak was committed at the militia station without search witnesses.

As N. Bordak told, several days ago not far from her house she met Arseni Yagorchanka, the same district resident. N.Bordak is a social activist, mother of three children, the poet (a collection of her verses has just been prepared for issuing). Arseni helps her with typing the verses for the issue. They were standing outside the house, by the wall with a portrait of Alyaksandr Kazulin, former candidate for the presidency who is at present a political prisoner for a 5.5 years term. “At that moment two militiamen appeared, N. Bordak continued telling. When we started walking away, one of them made a photo of a portrait with his cello and then they ran after us without saying a word. The militiaman Yaugen Fey caught me by the arm and forced me to a district department of internal affairs. “

“Sergeant Kislyakou ran up to me and hurt me on the ribs with his fist, Arseni Yagorchanka said. Then a vehicle with other militiamen arrived. They searched my pockets and didn’t find anything of interest. Then they took away my cello and key ring. They pulled me into the car and took to the district militia department. No report of the search and my properties’ withdrawal was made.
The second search of Yagorchanka and a search of Bordak were committed at the militia department. Besides, the search of Bordak was made, according to her, without search witnesses though their presence in such cases is legally demanded. Though nothing special was found and Yagorchanka’s things were returned to him the people had been detained at the militia department for around two hours. Both were requested to explain in writing what they had been doing at the Kazulin’s portrait.

Natallia Bordak and Arseni Yagorchanka consider that, actually, they were detained, but as far as the corresponding report was not made, their detaining was illegal. Yagorchanka applied to the polyclinics for the medical examination of his having been hurt. They also applied to the office of public prosecutor with a request on checking the legitimateness of the militiamen’s actions.