Dzianis Lukyanau: The Police Definitely Beat Me In Legs And Buttocks

The Investigatory Committee refutes the words of the Hrodna region resident.

Dzianis Lukyanau, a resident of the Hrodna region, who had part of his buttocks amputated, in an exclusive interview with Belsat claims that he was really beaten by uniformed police officers during the SunDay automobile festival.

Dzianis Lukyanau, who underwent 7 surgeries, including amputation of a part of the buttocks, was recently transferred to a regular ward from the intensive care unit. He got there on August 9 with a diagnosis of muscle necrosis. His cousin Darya told the media that Dzianis’s condition was caused by police beating - allegedly on July 20 at the SunDay festival, two riot policemen severely beat the drunk man.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs Volha Chamadanava, then stated: the information is not true, the injuries were received “through negligence”, no complaints to the law-enforcement agencies were received either from Lukyanau or his relatives. However, the wife and cousin who cares for Dzianis say the opposite: they wrote a statement to the Investigatory Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ own security service.

On September 17, an official representative of the Investigatory Committee Yulia Hancharova, said in a comment to Nasha Niva that after the questioning of the man himself, his relatives, colleagues, police officers and doctors, the investigators “did not find individuals who became eyewitnesses of the use of physical force”.

According to the Investigatory Committee, Lukyanau slipped on the stairs 10 days after the festival, and on August 2 fell on a tile in the bathroom. At the same time, the Committee reports that on August 8, the ambulance team that arrived on call did not reveal any injuries to the man, but on August 9 he was hospitalized.

“They started kicking me in the legs, then they threw me to the ground”

Due to the confusion in the dates and the conflicting words of the parties, white spots remained in the case.

We learned about the events of July 20 from the first-person point of view. Dzianis admits that he was drunk at the festival and does not remember some details (the exact time of the incident, the names of the policemen) due to his long stay in the intensive care and a large number of medications. However, he claims: police officers in uniform did kick him.

- How did the beating happen?

- A woman policeman was standing near the tent, along with some police chief and ordinary patrolmen, like those who walk around the city. I cannot say they were riot policemen, just ordinary policemen.

They didn’t beat me during the arrest, and then the investigator went somewhere, because he received a message about the theft of a mobile phone. As far as I understood, he went to the crime scene.

That's when two or three policemen started pushing me. It was very tough. They stood on my left side and started kicking me in the back side of the legs, then threw me to the ground ... The blows hit the lower leg, thigh and buttocks. I fell, they lifted me up and beat again. There were no batons, they just kicked me.

- Did you try to stop it somehow?

- I didn’t show resistance, as it would be even worse. I remember saying: “What are you doing?” Then they brought me into a tent and I sat in the corner until their boss came and wrote the protocol. And then they took me to the police station.

- Whom did you tell about the incident for the first time?

- The next day I told my friends that the police kicked me a bit, “practicing”. At first, I didn’t tell anything to my relatives so that they wouldn’t worry. In the morning my leg hurt, but I decided not to pay attention. And a few days later my daughter jumped on my leg from the back, and I cried out in pain.

- The Investigatory Committee claims that you fell on the stairs on August 30 or 31.

- Yes, I slipped and rolled down the stairs, holding on to the handrail, but there was not a strong blow, like a clap to a child’s bum. It didn't hurt at all.

- Did you fall on August 2 on a tile in the bathroom, as the IC reports?

- No. I came up with this so that my relatives do not worry. There was no fall.

- Have you or your close people filed a complaint to the law-enforcement agencies? Have you been interrogated?

- I contacted the Investigatory Committee and their own security service, yes. When I was in the intensive care, with the tubes for breathing connected to me [artificial respirator - Belsat.eu], 3-4 people came, I don’t remember how they introduced themselves. I was in a half adequate state, I fainted, they shook me and asked me again, asked for a “general overview of the situation”. Then a policeman came from the own security service, asking for details, up to the shoulder straps and color of the shoes of those who beat me. How can I remember that? I'm in such a state! The investigator also interviewed me later. I told them all about the beating.

- The representative of the Investigatory Committee said that one of the festival visitors pushed you on the shoulder, from which you fell to the ground on your back and then they dragged you about 15 meters to the police. “The man does not exclude that he was mistaken about who exactly hit him,” they believe in the IC. How can you comment on this?

- It’s now they have put forward such a version that some unknown person grabbed me by the arms or legs and dragged for 15 meters, and the police allegedly took me up me. But I remember exactly that it was the police who beat me.

- What actions on the part of the police are you expecting now?

- Firstly, I would like to receive compensation, and secondly, to get these employees fired.

“The organizers of SunDay helped us financially”.

Dzianis's cousin Darya Salyanik organized a fundraiser for the needs of the Lukyanaus: the family has three minor children, the wife on maternity leave, and a retired mother.

According to her, for several weeks, caring people transferred more than 2,000 rubles to the bank card.

“They sent 5-10 rubles each ... And the main financial assistance was provided to us by the organizers of the SunDay festival. When they found out what happened to Dzianis, they offered to help with medicines or money. I said that we are raising funds for the rehabilitation of Dzianis and to buy his child school supplies. I would like to especially thank them,” says Darya.