Prosecutor’s office refuses to launch criminal proceedings into alleged police beating of Anatoly Lebedko :: Charter'97 :: News

The Prosecutor’s Office of Minsk’s Leninsky district refused to initiate criminal proceeding into alleged police beating of Anatoly Lebedko, leader of the United Civic Party, during one of October’s protests sparked by disputed parliamentary elections and national referendum.

The politician was severely beaten during a police crackdown on an October 19 unsanctioned street protest in central Minsk. He was taken to a police station and rushed to a hospital after a while with brain concussion, three broken ribs and a blood clot in his liver.

As prosecutor Aleksei Stuk commented to the Belarusian Service of the RFE/RL, Mr. Lebedko “had been beaten, but it all was, well, in a process of the lawful arrest.” “The fact that he was beaten up by police has not been confirmed,” he said.

The UCP leader told BelaPAN that he “harbored no illusions” about the matter. “It would have been too much to expect authorities to allow to initiate criminal proceedings against those who supports them. Who will be then breaking up demonstrations?" he said.

He said he was convinced that “either the president himself or people close to him were behind that decision." "A criminal case may be initiated only after other people get into power," he added.