Evidence of detainees in Barysau: “Riot militiaman in black mask touched my leg with knife”

Youth activists, detained in Barysau, and their parents are going to lay complaints to prosecutor’s office against actions of the militia. The minors were questioned without a psychologist and their parents, moreover they became victims of mockery.

Last Saturday, 26c July, local militia, KGB and Minsk riot militia detained more than 60 young people aged from 15 to 25 near Barysau. The young people were going to build a “Youth Republic” in the forest. The event was held with the assistance of the “European Belarus” civil campaign.

The youth fixed a camp near Barysau on Friday evening. At ten in the morning on Saturday they were arrested by militia.

– The organisers were explaining game rules for us in the morning, – a 19-year old student told to Bulletinonline website. – They say they had some surprises for us. At this moment riot militiamen in black masks encircled us. At first we thought it was a surprise, it’s a game. But then we heard them swearing and threatening us. They demanded that we gather and get in buses. By the way, the buses belonged to the Barysau bus park. We were order to collect knives, axes, they took away even emery boards. They didn’t take away cell phones, but riot militiamen began to shout and damn. Some one managed to say parents we were being guarded to militia.

Mother of two children, detained by militia, on of whom is minor:

–when my daughter phoned to me and say they were being guarded from the camp, I rushed there by car. I saw two city buses and cars of riot militia near the camp. I asked where the children would be guarded to. Barysau militia was alerted. They questioned the detained people in every cabinet. My son, who is under 18, was questioned, too. I attained that I was present at the questioning. By the way, he wasn’t the only minor among these 60 people. The others were questioned without a psychologist and parents. Then they were ordered to go to another cabinet where their fingerprints and saliva specimen would be taken. I said I forbid to do it with my child and took him away from militia department. However, most of the adults were taken fingerprints. I don’t understand, why they need it. And in general, how much money was spent on this stupid “operation”? let’s calculate: militia and riot militia worked on weekend, many means of transport were used, including city buses! Who is responsible for these “incidental expenses”?

As other detainees say, rot militiamen were aggressive from the very beginning. One of the students reminds that a man in black mask touched her leg with knife in the bus.

– Frankly speaking, I was very afraid, – the student tells. – I was as quiet as a mouth, I just wondered–why is he doing so? Does he enjoy my fear?

She didn’t get answers to these questions. Another student didn’t manage to take away her lapta bat from a riot militiaman. Barysau militiamen promised they return the bat to her, but on Monday, two days after the incident, the girl wasn’t given her property back.

The detained young people and their parents are going lodge complaints against actions of militia to prosecutor’s office. “It is infinite lawlessness,” they say.