Jail in Akrestsin Street in Minsk – torture place for political prisoners

The document touches upon circumstances of detentions, trials and arrests of youth leaders, members of the organization committee of the European March, political and human rights activists detained before the European March held in Minsk on October 14. The conditions of imprisonment of democratic activists in the Center for Isolation of Delinquents in Akrestsin Street in Minsk, which have become much worse after adoption of the new Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus, are described in the document. The present paper gives names of law enforcement bodies employees who authorized detentions, passed unjust sentences; the names of other authorities who took part in the repressions against the organizers of the European March.

Tortures of democratic activists detained in connection with the European March

The European March was held in Minsk on October 14 to support the 12 proposals of the European Union to Belarus and to demonstrate European aspirations of the Belarusian civil society.

Despite the peaceful nature of the action, the authorities unfolded a repression campaign against democratic activists before the March. The main purpose of the campaign was to reduce the number of participants of the peaceful demonstration, detain leaders of the youth groups before and during The European March.

Nearly all youth democratic leaders were preventively arrested by the police. The arrests were executed in accordance with the list of the people who hold an active civil position, who enjoy respect in the society and who are able to engage more people in peaceful demonstrations. The most common case was the allegation of “obscene language use.” Police officers acted as false witnesses during trials. Despite rambling testimonies, judges accepted only what the false witnesses in uniform said.

It’s important to note that in Belarus police officers can legally act as witnesses; moreover, they possess presumption of trust. In other words, no matter what a police officer says, the court is to trust him or her, while testimonies of all other witnesses can be put into question. Thus, anybody can be preventively detained and accused according to such a scheme.

Youth leaders including Zmitser Barodka, Yaugen Afnagel, Paval Yukhnevich, Mikita Sasim, Aliaksandar Atroschankau, democratic activists Leanid Navitski, Paval Kuryanovich, Vital Tsikhanovich, Alina Gladkaya, Siargey Kliuyeu, Kanstantsin Grakhau, Igar Siachko, Igar Valynkin, human rights activist Sviatlana Garokhavik were imprisoned for 5-15 days. The sentence of some of them was prolonged on more false charges. For example, Leanid Navitski, having spent 10 days in prison before the European March, was captured several hours after his release and was sentenced to another 15 days of arrest. Youth leader Paval Yukhenvich, instead of being exonerated after 7 days of arrest, was taken to the court and sentenced to 15 days more.

The jail in Akrestsin Street called the Center for Isolation of Delinquents is used for keeping those who have committed a crime or wait for a trial: criminals, alcoholics, mentally deficient, homeless people. The conditions there don’t meet the basic hygiene and sanitary norms. Authorities use this jail for keeping democratic activists sentenced on false charges. Thus, innocent people have to face the conditions which can be regarded as real tortures. During the protest demonstrations against the results of presidential election in March 2006 hundreds of democratic activists were imprisoned in this Center. The new Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus adopted, the conditions of imprisonment have grown much worse:

- Arrested democratic activists are put to cells with people suffering from contagious diseases, including tuberculosis. Nearly all political prisoners were kept in one cell with people suffering from tuberculosis.

- Political prisoners are put in cells with hooligans, mentally deficient people and alcoholics able to harm themselves and others.

- There are neither beds nor beddings in the cells. People have to sleep on a wooden platform without blankets, pillows, or any bed clothes.

- The cells have poor heating, and in cold weather periods the temperature there is around zero. And still, warm clothes are not admitted to political prisoners, which causes illnesses. No medical help is normally given. According to new instructions of the Home Ministry that the isolation personnel refer to, each prisoner can have only one kit of clothes: one sweater, one jacket, one pair of trousers, one pair of socks, one pair of shoes (home and street shoes). Taking into consideration the long time of the imprisonment in insanitation and shower once a week, this can be regarded a form of humiliation of individual’s dignity. Moreover, imprisonment in such conditions can provoke various skin diseases.

- Despite poor meal in the isolation, food parcels are banned. The prison meal is of extremely low quality; it leads to poisoning, indigestion and intestinal diseases. All democratic activists imprisoned for the organization of the European March and kept in the isolation prison in Akrestsin Street lost up to 1 kg per day. For example, Zmitser Barodka lost 10 kg in 15 days, leaned Navitski – 17 kg. Food parcels banned, prisoners received no garlic and onion vitamins necessary to prevent infections in such conditions.

- Cases of poisoning of democratic activists in the isolation prison in Akrestsin Street that led to hospitalization are known. All political prisoners complained on exacerbation of intestinal and stomach diseases.

- In spite of the fact that daily walks (not less than one hour) are obligatory, political prisoners were deprived of this right: for the entire term of arrest. People are kept in a closed cold cell with poor light. The isolation prison personnel refer to the absence of the facilities necessary for organizing the walks of wrongdoers. At the same time, there is a rather spacious yard in the prison, and other prisoners are regularly taken to works outside.

- A new form of psychological pressure on political prisoners – personal search – has been introduced recently. Several times per week prison workers visit cells and search thoroughly personal belongings and the clothes of prisoners.

All these innovations in guarding administrative prisoners are targeted at intimidation and pressure on political prisoners.

Belarusian human rights activists have recorded 149 facts of various kinds of repressions against democratic – and first of all, youth – activists before the European March.

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Human Rights Center of CHARTER’97