"Someone's Started to Lose Their Head"

The cadet dropped out of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and told what was happening among the future policemen.

18-year-old Aliaksandr deliberately dropped out of his studies at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs: he became disillusioned with the system that mocks people instead of protecting them. In a conversation with Radio Svaboda, he told which of his colleagues-"academicians" beat the protesters and what penalty the academy imposed on him.

"In every structure, there are inadequate ones. But we did not think that they were among us"

He entered the police department of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs because he was going to serve in law enforcement agencies. The first course was rather calm. Dramatic August 2020 put an end to further plans.

- In the first year, we were not involved in the maintenance of order; everything was limited to a sitting in the stands: hockey, European Games, concerts, other state events, - he recalls. - And when we transferred to the 2nd year, the election campaign just started, - they sent me to guard the polling stations. On August 9 at 4 am, we woke up, washed, ate - by the way, they did not feed us for more than a day; some returned only the next day at noon.

Some of the cadets in field gear were sent to the disposal of the district administrations. Aliaksandr was assigned to the October district school, where two polling stations were located at once. The dress code is ceremonial - a half-woolen uniform, a white shirt. But there was no question of the holiday atmosphere: the cadets were immediately given to understand what mission they were there for.

- The chairman of the commission did not make up something, took us away, and said: "Guys, we cannot show the papers to anyone, the data is falsified." Nobody even hid it. However, we were told at the beginning of the day: Lukashenka will win. That is, in the morning, I knew what the results would be. I was also hooked by the fact that 17-year-olds were sent to patrols and on guard. How can minors be involved in such a case? - he wonders.

After the closure of the polling stations, the "guards" moved with the ballots to the administration of the same October district. They brought up the fortifications from other sections, sat, shared what happened to whom during the day.

- The deputy head of the police department came in and said that there would be relocation to the center; there were not enough people. The mood has soured. The Internet was no longer there, but Tut.by was loaded; we saw footage of dispersal. As a result, 2-3 groups were sent to the stele. We sat in the department until 4 in the morning, until we said that we were returning to the faculty. We went outside, waited for the bus. And two paddy wagons just arrived. We saw how people were unloaded, passed through the line, and severely beaten. It was a terrible sight.

Despite the commanders' threats, Aliaksandr and his friends have followed the protests since the June chains of solidarity with the imprisoned contender Viktar Babaryka. There was no total violence yet; the security forces seized a few protesters and loaded them into minibusses without identification marks. Even if the facts of beating were recorded, they were isolated.

- Then we still did not understand how it's possible to treat people like that since we came to the academy to become defenders, not punishers. We didn't really know what kind of people in civilian clothes they were, the ones who were allowed everything. Of course, in every structure there are not entirely adequate employees who are ready to carry out any order. But we didn't think they were among us.

"They were beaten by cadets of the penal-executive faculty"

It turned out that you don't have to go far for examples. In the October district police department, his colleagues at the militia academy beat the detainees in a sadistic manner. In particular, the cadets of the Faculty of Penitentiaries. Several AMAP officers acted as "instructors."

- Unfortunately, people were beaten by the guys in uniform with shoulder straps of the 3rd year. It was also our academy, but not a police department or an investigative expert, but those who are then going to work in prisons, isolation wards, with prisoners. Formally, they belong to the internal troops, and this is how they passed their "practice." I cannot understand such zeal.

The security forces, who have been marked by unreasonable cruelty numerous times in more than two months of protests, cannot be identified in any way. Without insignia, in balaclavas - you don't understand whether they are the military, or the police, or just bandits.

During the first marches, Minsk residents noticed the cordon around the "Minsk - Hero City" stele. It seemed that there were frightened teenagers standing there.

- They ere cadets of the military academy, - Aliaksandr immediately identifies. - There are many friends since school days; we regularly communicate; guys from 2-3 year are still being sent. It is not clear why, but they really take the smallest and throw them to the stele, behind the barbed wire. In fact, they are yesterday's teenagers who have nothing to do with the maintenance of order.

As for the so-called "olives" - fighters in green overalls, which this year came from nowhere - the interlocutor defines them as internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

- Internal troops wear such overalls for dispersal at rallies, where shields and helmets are not needed. This is definitely not AMAP; they are traditionally in black, although it is possible that, in some cases, they can pretend to be anyone. If civilians, then almost certainly, they are the GUBOPiK group.

The Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs dresses its students in a different color - in a dark blue field uniform.

- Yes, our uniform is dark blue. The shoulder straps are turned upside down; you cannot show your identity to anyone; it is forbidden. In fact, today, all available forces, including cadets, are thrown against the protesters.

"They said your family doesn't need you."

Are there hypothetical chances of refusing to take part in power "sweeps"? How realistic is it to refer to inner pacifism or to the fact that "faith does not allow?"

- We have no rights. I left of my own accord so that I don't have problems. The elimination procedure is too slow, and I needed it quickly because if you get a job, they ask for a testimonial. Well, it is clear that they were trying to find out: maybe your parents are "white-red-white" or you are? The people in the administration are callous. When he said that I was leaving because of my mother, they openly declared: "Your family doesn't need you; they sent you here so that you don't interfere." It was amazingly unpleasant.

Most of the officers treat the cadets as inferior; Aliaksandr shares his own experience.

- There are normal officers. The colonel, the head of the faculty, left. Intelligent, smart, he could not stand the lawlessness, as well as some others. However, the majority sees their mission in humiliation and insult. When there was a leader above us, you didn't feel like a person - a lousy dog, no more. They don't let you go home when the time comes. They cling to cleaning in order to remove from the outfit and put it again. A person slept for 4 hours per day, and he is sent again. I don't know what kind of a person you have to be to treat your subordinates like that.

The idea of quitting his police career came to him even before the elections. The turning point was the way the authorities "fought" the coronavirus. That imitation opened my eyes to real things: the cadets' life is worthless for the commanders.

- I tested the system on myself and realized that it was absolutely not my thing. Let's just say it's not for honest people. Everything is "sharpened" to make you weak-willed, stupid. Post-election violence was the last straw, but thoughts appeared back in May. At some point, almost everyone at the academy got sick. They didn't even try to send us to the remote mode. We sat in a bunch in classrooms, walked in formation, slept in the same room. No masks would have helped, although they were not particularly insisted on.

Only after 90% of the students in his course confirmed the coronavirus, the police department was sent to isolation - they occupied as many as two floors of the academic hostel.

- We laid there for three weeks, and we were released. They did not do any more tests - they said that the students were isolated for the required time, which means they are healthy. This is despite the fact that there were guys who still did not smell or taste. Everyone was again taken to the academy; no one even listened that people were sick and could infect everyone again.

"I blew my health, and I owe 7 thousand dollars"

The alma mater issues invoices to "objectors" with which it firmly binds the students to themselves - so that they think less about the civilian alternative.

- The guys who left a little earlier received a check for about 6.5 thousand dollars in equivalent. Accordingly, I have about 7 thousand, which is about 18 thousand rubles - for one course of study. They calculate for everything: food, uniform, textbooks, educational process, even utilities. Well, and the entire scholarship during this time: when I left, in the second year, it was 356 rubles. The state intends to return every penny.

This is the case when it is pointless to sue, the former cadet believes. Unless only with confirmation of the diseases received within the walls of the academy.

- Absolutely everyone's health deteriorates. Many of those who were expelled are no longer suitable for military service, although they were suitable for the academy a year or two ago. I was absolutely healthy when I entered, and now I have more than 10 diagnoses. They appeared during my studies; with such a "bouquet," they would not have taken me there. For a month that I am at home, it is impossible to undermine the body. Therefore, some intend to sue: if the academy made us "unusable," what should it pay for? Although it is very difficult to achieve something.

Now the army looms before Aliaksandr. There is a delay for health reasons, but it is not known how long.

- I received a summons, passed the medical examination. They gave me a postponement; now, there are additional examinations. Alternative services under the current government are also not an option: it will make sense if the system changes and approaches to the army are revised. You can serve 2 years under a contract, for example, in the emergency management department, and then the army will count. And the option is not to pay the academy's debt. While there is a forced pause, I am considering Kalinouski's program in order not to stop studying. We will see...

"Some began to lose their head"

According to Aliaksandr, if it were no the enslaving conditions, the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs would already be half empty. Most young people do not accept an ideology based on force, although they are forced to obey.

- They expelled the guys who went to the rally from the 4th year. There was a parsing; they recorded then as almost traitors. Any statement is interrupted immediately, threatened with expulsion, dismissal from the authorities. They say that this is anti-state, the security forces should be on the side of the president, and all the protesters are bandits. Of course, few people perceive delusions, but most have no choice. They came from the villages, wanted to serve, studied well. And, even seeing insanity, they cannot leave because of an unaffordable penalty. If not that, everyone would run away. The threat of the army and the debt stops.

Aliaksandr calls his colleagues who remained at the academy "hostages of the system." Men in uniform are in command, "youngsters" can only accept authoritarianism. Otherwise, the conversation is short - go away.

- There is no such thing as the police have on the contract: you leave - well, go. In the case of expulsion, the cadet needs to compensate for a huge amount, and they will also be taken into the army. Many of them have come to count on the scholarship. There are many from large families where there is no way to support children. And so they unload the budget because they are on the provision. And imagine: a guy has three brothers and sisters, and bam - comes a payroll with thousands of dollars in debt. And they stay although internally they do not agree with the position of the authorities.

Aliaksandr keeps in touch with some of his former classmates. Those more and more complain about moral and physical fatigue and do not understand why unprepared children are involved in rallies.

- Cadets are carried back and forth. And where did the contract soldiers from the AMAP and internal troops go? There is almost no study, all the time at they are at rallies. They have no other life. They came for education, but they are sitting in ambushes. For some, apparently, they began to lose their head; they say that the protesters need to be beaten so that they do not come out again. Not that they are marginalized or "for Lukashenka," they just want everything to return to a calm channel. However, such are 10-15%. The rest are well aware of what is happening. Accordingly, they voted for Tsikhanouskaya, for changes.