"They Don't Give Us Dad's Body Without Permission of the Investigative Committee"

Relatives of a shot Brest resident can't bury him.

On Wednesday, August 19, 44-year-old Brest resident Hienadz Shutau died in a military hospital in Minsk after being shot by security forces during protests. Hienadz's relatives came to the capital yesterday to collect the body, but, as they say, experts require them to issue a decree for the issuance of the body signed by the Investigative Committee, writes tut.by.

— We want to take the body of our father and bury it in a human way, but in the Department of forensic examinations No. 3 we are told that we need the permission of the Investigative Committee. And in the Investigative Committee for Brest, they say that no permission is needed. Where to find the truth? - asks Liudmila, daughter of the deceased Hienadz Shutau.

On Wednesday, August 19, a man died in a military hospital in Minsk. He received a gunshot wound to the head on August 11 in the Moscow administration area of Brest during protests. He was taken to a local hospital, and then transported by helicopter from Brest to Minsk in an unconscious state with a diagnosis of " open penetrating gunshot wound to the skull. Injury — crushing of the brain. Multiple fracture of the cranial vault with transition to the base."

According to Liudmila, yesterday she was contacted from the Minsk morgue, told what kind of coffin to order, and the family left for the capital on the same day.

— Yesterday in the Department of forensic examinations No. 3 said that the autopsy will be done as soon as possible, and as a result, we are sent from the Investigative Committee to the forensic experts. I understand that they just don't want to give us the body, " suggests Liudmila, the daughter of Hienadz Shutau. — In the decision to conduct the examination, it is clearly stated: give the body after the examination to relatives.

The journalists asked the press service of the State Committee of forensic examinations for comment.

-The bodies of the State Committee of forensic examinations today received a resolution of the investigator and the body of the deceased Shutau for forensic examination, — says Siarhei Titaviec, press Secretary of the Central office of the State Committee of forensic examinations.

As for the issue of Hienadz Shutau's body to his family, this issue is called "premature" by the Committee.

— It can only be considered after conducting the necessary research. On average, the examination is carried out from 2 to 4 weeks, — comments Titaviec and notes that the body can be kept by experts until all the necessary examinations are carried out.

— Do you need permission from the Investigative Committee so that the family can take the body?

— Article 29 Of the law of the Republic of Belarus "on burial and funeral business" contains that the body of the deceased is issued with the written permission of the body that appointed this examination.

The Committee did not answer whether this permission is available in this case and advised to contact the Investigative Committee.

— The Investigative Committee gave instructions to the Committee of forensic examinations to conduct expert research on the body of the deceased. We do not have these expert examinations — which means that there can be no permission to issue the body at the moment — " explains Siarhei Kabakovich, an official representative of the Investigative Committee.

He clarified that the body of Hienadz Shutau may be with the experts for several days.

Hienadz is the third victim of protests after the elections in Belarus. Aliaksandr Taraikovski died on August 10, and was buried on August 15. Aliaksandr Vihor died on August 11 and was buried on August 16.

Let us remind you, yesterday the Investigative Committee announced thei version of the death of Hienadz Shutau. According to investigators, on August 11 in Brest, two men "attacked people who were performing tasks to protect public order during an unauthorized mass event." The men allegedly beat the security forces with a metal pipe, "and also attempted to take possession of firearms, which is confirmed by the materials available to the investigation."

— It was previously established that law enforcement officers used physical force to stop the illegal actions of the attackers. One of them, perceiving the actions of the suspects as a real threat to life and health and suppressing attempts to take possession of a service weapon, used a weapon against the attacker, shooting in the direction of the shoulder. However, due to the continued active resistance of the man unintentionally wounded him in the head area, - the Investigative Committee reports.

Relatives of the man say that they communicated with eyewitnesses, and they told that Hienadz didn't fight, didn't conflict — just walked. The shot that he received was, according to people with whom the family spoke, made from the roof of the building.