Riot militiamen in mufti beat youth leader Andrei Kim

• 9.12.2008, 12:45

Youth leader Andrei Kim was beaten up near the Tsentralny district court of Minsk, where trial over political prisoner Alyaksandr Barazenka started on December 8.

The oppositionist was beaten when Alyaksandr Barazenka was escorted from the courtroom. People who came to support the prisoner of conscience began to shout “Freedom!” “Long Live Belarus!” At that moment three riot militiamen attacked Andrei Kim.

Andrei Kim told the Charter’97 press center about the events.

“When Barazenka was guarded out, three militiamen in mufti attacked me. They struck me down to the ground and dragged over the asphalt. My cheek is swollen and bleeding; I have poor sight in one eye...

Before the attack, I just tried to explain to riot militiamen in mufti that we had gathered there because we supported Alyaksandr and think his trial is unlawful. I said that if they, riot militiamen, stood trial one day, nobody would come to support them, on the contrary, militia would have protected them from indignant people. They had no arguments. My mom worried when she saw them beating me. She had hysterics. It was brutal, nobody expected it,” Andrei Kim told.

It should be reminded that Andrei Kim is involved in the Process of 14, as Alyaksandr Barazenka. He was sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment for participation in a protest rally of entrepreneurs. He was released on August 20, 2008.