Yauhen Afnahel: «When being detained I was flung black bag on head»
- 18.10.2007, 17:41
“When detaining, the OMON soldiers (riot police) flung a black cellophane bag on my head, take my mobile phone away”, - said to Charter’97 press center Yauhen Afnahel, applicant for the European March, civil campaign “Jeans for Freedom” activist, released today from the remand jail in Akrestin Street after 10-days arrest.
According to Yauhen Afnahel, just after the detainment he was guarded to Central of Minsk. Along with this, according to the oppositionist, “the OMON soldiers were swearing strongly”. “They said they had been looking for me for a long time…”, - the applicant for the European March says.
Yet half an hour after he was took to District Internal Affairs Department, Afnahel was guarded to Central District Court. Judge Tatsiana Pauluchuk sentenced him to 10 days of arrest. The OMON soldiers-witnesses Ihar Maiseeu and Siarhei Sheiko lied and said Afnahel was using obscene language in public place.
There was very cold in the remand jail, according to the oppositionist. “It was awfully cold, we were freezing very much. The parcels were banned, so we were eating what was given – mainly, thin porridge. There was not enough food, of course. There were 9 people in the cell. I was sitting with domestic hooligans almost all the time”, - Afnahel tells.
It should be reminded that one of the European March applicants, the civil campaign “Jeans for Freedom” activist Yauhen Afnahel was detained 8 October after the meeting of the European March organizers with the officials of the Minsk State Executive Committee. He was under external observation since he had left the Minsk State Executive Committee, where he had participated in the negotiations on the European March holding with the city authorities.
“It is obvious that the authorities are not a single unit. While some officials want to have a dialog with the opposition, want the country to develop normally, the others injure the image of the country. I am glad the people were allowed to gather for the European March, as we have planned. On the other hand, many people were arrested before. By that the authorities have brought discredit upon themselves”, Yauhen Afnahel said.
