Belarusian oppositionists kidnapped and taken to forest

The number of kidnappings of opposition activists by secret services has recently increased in Belarus. Democrats are being caught and taken to forests, beaten and intimidated that is similar to the manners of gangsters.

The latest event happened yesterday, ahead of the rally on Freedom Day. “Young Front” activists Nasta Palazhanka and Dzyanis Karnou were guarded out of Minsk near Tarasava village by officers of the secret services.

Nasta Palazhanka tells:

– We were forced into a car, taken away our cell phones, pulled our caps over eyes, the car drove in the direction to Hrodna. After that Dzyanis was taken to another car, they said he would be guarded to a militia department, but didn’t say in which one. We drove away and I was thrown out near Tarasava village. I hitchhiked home.

Дениса КарноваDzyanis Karnou was also taken out of the city, beaten and mocked:

– I was pushed into a car, I didn’t know what happened to Nasta. Then I was ordered to hold my head between the knees, we were driving for about an hour. Then I was pushed into another car, we were driving somewhere, and two unknown people threw me out of the car somewhere in the forest. I could see only feet. They didn’t hit in face – only back and stomach. How were they beating? You know, riot militiamen can’t beat lightly. They made me stand on my knees in snow for a while.

They cut my jeans, made shorts of them. They threw me out somewhere near Dzyarzhynsk. I stopped a car on the road. I had to stop some car to get home. One man even gave me money for a taxi. There are many kind people in Belarus. Many of them, however, didn’t want to stop, because I didn’t look presentable in my ragged jeans.

It isn’t the first case when opposition activists have been kidnapped by the secret services. Leader of the organization “Young Belarus” Artur Finkevich was attacked in a similar way, too.

– On September 19, 2008, I knocked down when leaving my house, they pulled my cap over eyes, threw me into a minibus and were driving me for three hours. My hands were tied, I got hits in back, head, legs and stomach. My jacket was cut. I was thrown away near Valozhyn, 130 kilometres from Minsk.

I thought it was the end, they would kill and bury me. I wouldn’t understand why they were doing that, but I thought it was the last trip in my life.

Kidnappings of opposition leaders Viktar Hanchar, Yury Zakharanka, Anatol Krasouski, and Zmitser Zavadski should be reminded in this connection. They authorities are afraid of killing, but the situation hasn’t fundamentally changed. I was kidnapped, than Karnou and Palazhanka. This will continue if we don’t pay attention to these awful things.

Tsimafei Dranchuk, former political prisoners, convicted in the case of the “Partnership” initiative, was also kidnapped and taken to the forest:

– In September 2002, on a request of “Narodnaya Volya” editor-in-chief my colleague and I made pictures of a house on Masherau Avenue where Viktar Lukashenka, son of the Belarusian dictator, lived. A minute after we parted four bullies in black and pushed me into a car with blacked-out windows. It happened so suddenly, so quickly, I didn’t even manage to shout. We were driving around the city, I was threatened, taken away pictures and later thrown out outside Minsk.

Before that I was detained on July 21, 1999, when term of office of Lukashenka expired. I was taking video of military equipment near Minsk Concert Hall before a demonstration when riot militiamen detained me and their commander ordered to guard me outside the city. Riot militiamen drove me out of the ring road, beat, broke my glasses, took away a videocassette and left me there.

Human rights activist Valyantsin Stefanovich reminds that opposition leaders were kidnapped earlier in Belarus, some extrajudicial killing took place:

– What Nasta Palazhanka and Dzyanis Karnou told about their yesterday’s detention and trip to a forest proves the fact there are gross violations of human rights and freedoms in Belarus.

This can be regarded as unlawful detention and restriction of liberty. Besides, according to Dzyanis Karnou, physical force was used against him, his trousers were cut – this is both moral and material damage.

I think a claim should be filed to the prosecutor’s office asking to instigate a criminal case to find out the persons who did it and punish them.

I am sure these unknown attackers are representatives of the law enforcement agencies. This attack was purposeful, it can be also regarded as a political pressure upon youth activists, their intimidation. Taking into account a number of enforced disappearances and possible extrajudicial killing, I think, it wasn’t an accident. This means is very efficient.

Human rights activists are concerned about this situation. In my view, these should be more information about such cases.

Mr Navumau may have something to answer, he likes to comment on different demonstrations and actions. I’d like him to explain this situation. He is minister of internal affaires of Belarus after all, so he is responsible for such events in the country.