Horrible Crimes of The Belarusian Riot Police, Prison Guards And Policemen

It's testimony for the Hague Tribunal.

The detention center on Okrestsina began to release those detained during the protests at around 10:30 p.m. The relatives and friends say that up to 30 people were released in the first 30 minutes. People are being released. The journalists of tut.by interviewed the released about the conditions they were kept in.

Despite late hours, a lot of people are waiting for their loved ones around the detention center. Volunteer motorists drive up; they offer a lift.

This content may hurt your feelings, be careful. The stories told by the girls are horrible.

The first person we meet on the way out is Mikalai. He's from Babruisk. He's been living in Minsk for four years. He refuses to take a photo. He was detained on August 9th near Stela.

- I was standing at an intersection, trying to calm down the provocateur. Provocateurs were pushing the crowd on shields and water cannons, [...] when I pushed away one drunkard who wanted to throw the bottle, they grabbed me. Then, batons, batons, batons, and I'm already in a police van.

Mikalai tells that he was "luckiest of all" on Okrestsina. He was immediately taken to the ward, some people spent the arrest outside.

- First I was taken to the ward with 24 people in it. Then I was thrown into the ward with 46 people in, although the ward has six places. The next day they say laughing, "Who wants to go for a walk, get some fresh air?" And then someone mentioned: "For the night walk". I say, "Are you crazy, guys? Will you go outside at night wearing only shirts?" They did that to change places for those who were outside and those in the ward.

- Was there lace of space?

- I guess, yes.

On the second day, they got only "a halved loaf of bread for 20 people". There was both hot and cold water, one could splash off.

- Were you beaten?

- I was not, but a lot of people were. There were no people in the ward who resisted in our ward. At once someone tried to push some buttons. However, when we heard how people were taken out and severely beaten, we did nothing.

According to Mikalai, "the police themselves don't beat up, the riot police do".

- The riot police... Tonight I spent the night outdoors and heard a man was beaten up and forced to say: "I love the riot police".

- Why did you spend the night outdoors?

- I was to be taken to Zhodzina. It turned out that my documents were lost, as well as those of 48 other people. 300 people drove away, and two more cars drove away empty because no documents were found.

- Were you fined?

- I don't know what awaits me.

The video below could hurt your feelings. The stories of these guys and girls are still beyond common sense".

"Don't worry, he's not beaten up. He's fine."

- Don't clap! People scream it when another detainee leaves the isolation ward.

One can't applaud. After hearing the applause, people will not let be out. That is why everybody waits for the gates to open and their beloved person will be released.

- Look at this! Did you see that? strange women rush to a man and show pictures of husbands, brothers on the phone.

- This one? Yes. Don't worry. He’s fine, not beaten up.

- When did you see him? Remember, please, it's very important, a woman starts to cry.

- Today or yesterday. We cannot track the time there.

All things are taken away. They are grateful to volunteers, relatives, who shout out time.

- Have you been beaten?

- Yeas. I cried: "Kill me", our interlocutor does not want to say his name. He says the general asked not to talk about it. But he shows his blue injured finger. It is impossible to see the beatings at once. According to those on Okrestsina, they were beaten on the legs, back, buttocks. These parts are blue and black.

Ambulances constantly drive up to the gates, some people require hospitalization.

- Egorova Tatiana, the ambulance slows down near the volunteer, and the driver gives the names of those who are hospitalized. Many people are not on the list, and they are immediately added to it.

It is impossible to drive up to Okrestsina: there are dozens of cars lined up here, relatives, friends of the detainees and volunteers.

- Who does need a lift? Is there anyone from Surganova?

People released look confused; they have no belongings, no phones, wallets, all things remain in the isolation ward. They immediately receive water, hot tea, food and wrapped in a warm blanket. Girls just cry, men just leave without words. They have bruises and hematomas under their clothes.

"You don't get any medical assistance. We will throw a grenade at you and it's over."

Among those released after 11 pm are mainly women. One of them is Anastasia, the paramedic. She says they detained her on the night of August 12. She and her colleagues were helping the victims after work. On the way home, their car was stopped. The girl was wearing a white robe at that moment. Today she was given a mask, a band-aid and peroxide, which she had with her.

- The Special Forces stopped the car, kicked us out, put the guns against our heads and brought here.

50 people were kept in the ward for four according to the paramedic.

- We could not either sleep or even sit. There was no air to breathe.

For the first 24 hours, they stood in the courtyard. They got no food or water. They gave water for the first time after 15 hours, says the girl. People "demanded it with scandal and panic". For the second day, they brought bread and porridge.

- The guards went around saying, "You won't get any medical assistance. We'll throw a grenade at you, and it'll all be over".

- Were you beaten up?

- I was not. However, some girls were. The staff from the ground floor did that. One cannot say who are the guards here.

- What happened to men?

- We heard plaintive cries of men at night. They were forced to sing the Belarusian anthem and were beaten up. That's what we heard every night. Those cries brought our hearts into our mouth.

- How many days of arrest did you get?

- Ten. But somehow today, unknown people arrived and said it is a mess here, [... ] they invited all of us in. We had a conversation. They gave us papers to sign that we know the reason for our detention and let us go.

The deputy minister: "There was no bullying."

Deputy Interior Minister Aliaksandr Barsukou appeared near the detention center. He talked to the photographers and quickly headed to the black jeep, not stopping near those who gathered there. Journalists wondered how many detainees would be released.

- All of them," he said on the move. And he added: "There was no bullying".

In an hour and a half, we counted about 10 ambulances approaching Okrestsina.

It should be reminded that during the post-election protests more than 6,700 people were detained, many of them were beaten up, more than 250 are hospitalized, two people died.