Brest regional police explain raid in Pinsk

The police department of the Brest region promises to launch an inquiry into actions by police officers who detained pensioners trading near the Pinsk market.

Information about the incident appeared on the police website yesterday evening. In an earlier conversation with charter97.org the Pinsk police department denied information about the arrest of traders.

“On July 7, 2013, a district police officer of the Pinsk main police department visited three times the territory near 118 Brestskaya Street in Pinsk, where people try to sell food (in a place not authorised for trading). The police officer talked to the traders three times warning them about administrative responsibility for the offence. At about 15:00, the police officer visited the site for the forth time and found illegal traders there. He and two police patrols took measures to suppress the offence and detained the offenders who disobeyed police orders,” the press release of the police says.

According to the information from the Brest regional police department, three people were detained: a man born in 1957 and two women born in 1949. An administrative report over article 23.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (interference with the administrative offence procedures) was drew up against the man. He received a fine of 20 penalty units on July 9. The police drew up reports on the women for violating part 8 of article 12.17 (violating the rules of trading) and article 23.4 (disobeying a legal order of an official on duty). Their cases were submitted to a court.

“The Brest regional police department will launch an inquiry to assess the reasonableness of the measures taken by the Pinsk police in relation to the detained people and give a legal evaluation of their actions,” the press release says.