Scandal in Belarusian army: soldier of elite military unit died after beating

Vadzim Yushko from Lepel was called up for army in summer 2005. He got to hospital after 6 months of service and died three months later.

The official version of the procuracy check says the reason was a disease, he “got during military service.” The parents of the young man don’t agree with this statement, “Komsomolskaya Pravda v Belarusi” writes.

Father didn’t recognise his son

Vadzim, called up for 103d mobile brigade of the airborne forces, had good health.

– He had never been in hospital, he has never suffered from kidney diseases, - Vadzim’s mother, Ms Lyudmila, says and shows his medical history, a thin practically unfilled book. – He decided to serve not in Barvikha, near home, but in an elite brigade, because it would be an advantage for enrol ling in Higher Militia School... And then we received a telephone call: “Your son is in hospital.” When we came to him, father didn’t even recognise him, passed by – Vadzim became so dropsical...

The pathology record says the guy had no healthy organs. The examination showed actions by medical workers of the military units contain no elements of crime, diagnosis of the main disease and its complications was correct.” And even “late kidney disease detection, made in the Vitsebsk region hospital, which caused delay in medical care, didn’t influence the disease outcome.”

Thus, the initial cause was so serious, that even “competent and timely” treatment couldn’t save the young man. But this cause is not analysed in the procuracy check, and prosecution on the fact of soldiers’ death was denied. The official diagnosis is “systemic vasculitis, affecting kidney, abdominal vessels; rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis.” But the Vitsebsk inter-garrison procuracy check doesn’t say how the healthy young guy could get this dangerous disease.

Vadzim said the cause of the disease is beating up

The procuracy instigated a criminal case only against medical workers of the Vitsebsk hospital on improper performance of professional duties, causing reckless death. The investigation has been going on for 1.5 year. The parents are sure, the main blame lies with the army.

– Our son said me in hospital, - Ms Lyudmila goes on, - he was called to the corridor before he went to bed. He just remembered how he opened the door to a room. That’s all. He regained conscience on his bed, dressed, his head and back were aching. He came round only after three days, but couldn’t raise himself. No medical workers visited him these days, he was rejected to phone...

Besides his mother, Vadzim said to his ward neighbour, he had been beaten up in the army. This witness's testimony (which was confirmed to us by him) was recorded into the criminal case of the Vitsebsk region procuracy.

– But military procuracy refuses to involve the army into the investigation, in spite of our requests, referring to the results of the first check by the Vitsebsk inter-garrison military procuracy, which didn’t find any facts of violent acts against Yushko, - parents explain.

Only one witness from the soldiers appears in the materials of the check - a contract soldier, who visited Yushko. He claims Yushko didn’t say him anything about his beating. Squad sergeant A. Antikhovich says there were no non-manual relations. There is no evidence of barracks mates, which could disprove or confirm Vadzim’s words he said to his mother.

Lad was hidden in military unit for three days?

Moreover, the materials of the check say the soldier had no body injuries. But support platoon commander Dzmitry Lipski gave testimony that Vadzim had bed regime in barracks for three days (maybe four days, the case contains controversial documents on the date of seeking medical help). According to Internal Service Regulations, a soldier must be urgently taken to hospital company in case he has a disease. The Regulations don’t provide such regime as “bed regime in barracks.” But the check is silent on the fact whether Vadzim was examined in the medical office in his military unit and whether he had body injuries then. So the parents think commanders just hid their son in the unit instead of carrying out an urgent check and taking the soldier to hospital.

Parents with their son’s body were waiting for commanders ... to leave a cafe

Ms Lyudmila phoned to the military unit and said the command their soldier had died. Parents waited for the commanders for some hours to go to the Central Military Hospital to take their son’s body. Vadzim was taken to this hospital only after 2.5 months of his treatment in Vitsebsk region hospital, and died 9 days later, though parents repeatedly asked the command to transfer their son to hospital from the very beginning). On the way back, parents were seating near the car with the body of their son and waiting for the commanders who were enjoying their time in a cafe...

– Our son didn’t find his military ID and driving license when he came round in the barracks. De facto, he was a homeless when he was treated. It is another violation of the signed by the president Internal Service Regulations, - mother tells.

Vadzim’s parents, who are seeking for the truth so far, worry not only about honour of their son. If everything can be explained with a disease, who can guarantee lives of other soldiers are safe?

P.S. The medical re-examination carrying out by uninterested Russian specialists, appointed by an investigator from the Vitsebsk procuracy, will probably clear out the cause of death. It’s interesting, that a session, where results will be summarised, for some reason will be held in the Russian Federation.