Activist Tamara Siarhei About Her Detention: It Won't Go Down With Them

Activist Tamara Siarhei has been released from the Tsentralny district police department without drawing up a report.

Tamara Siarhei believes her detention is related to the holding of the “All-Belarusian People's Assembly” in Minsk.

Lawyer, activist of the civil initiative “Against lawlessness in courts and prosecutor's office” Tamara Siarhei, who was arrested by police officers near Kurapaty and brought to the Tsentralny district police department of Minsk in the morning on June 23, has been released without drawing up a report.

Tamara Siarhei told BelaPAN, that she was released at 13.15. “I informed them, that it wouldn't go down with them and I would not cover up their illegal actions,” – she noted.

“At 12.20 it was exactly three hours from the time of my actual detention. Since I had not been provided with any documents, and during that time they had had to submit a protocol of detention, I tried to get out of the office, when an officer blocked the road,” – Siarhei said.

According to the lawyer, police captain Dzmitry Andaliukevich was all the time demanding of her explanations regarding her complaint against the actions of the police, which she addressed to chief of the Main Department of Internal Affairs Aliaksandr Barsukou on 16 May. “I said: “Send me a summons, I will come and give explanations in accordance with the procedure established by law,” – the activist explained.

Due to Tamara Siarhei’s detention, the rally of civil initiative representatives in Freedom Square in Minsk went phut.

Tamara Siarhei absolutely relates her detention to the holding of the “All-Belarusian People's Assembly” in Minsk, as the initiative activists planned a rally at 10.00 on Freedom Square to draw the Assembly delegates’ attention to the problem of judicial lawlessness. Because of her detention the picket was called off.

As previously reported, Tamara Siarhei was detained by police officers in civilian clothes at about 9:30 am near her house. We also know that today, a couple Valiantsina and Aliaksandr Kavalenka were arrested at 5:30 am in Babruisk. The pensioners were going to Minsk to take part in the picket. We can't get through to them at the moment, however, according to Tamara Siarhei, “they will be taken to court”.