Oppositionist asked taxi driver for receipt and got in militia department

• 30.05.2008, 10:18

Ales Chyhir, opposition politician from Babruisk, was detained late at night on Thursday by officers of the militia department of the Babruisk city executive committee.

The wife of the politician Danuta told to Radio Svaboda, militiamen refused to tell her the reasons of the detention for two hours, and refused to answer any questions. At two at night she was said her husband had been detained for disorderly conduct.

According to Ms Chyhir, her husband had been cruelly beaten during the detention. Through the window she saw him laying unconscious on the floor in the militia department.

Ales Chyhir was celebrating his birthday yesterday. He, his wife and daughter Alisa, took a taxi to get home from their relatives’ late at night.

“Near the house I paid off. Ales asked the taxi driver for a receipt. The driver began to quarrel, and didn’t give a receipt to Ales. My daughter and I got out of the car. All of a sudden the taxi drive took off and disappeared. After five minutes Ales phoned to me and said the taxi driver and militiamen were beating him near the railway station,” Danuta Chyhir told.

She has written claims to the head of the Babruisk militia and to the procuracy.

Ales Chyhir, educated teacher, was dismissed for he was a member of Alyaksandr Milinkevich’s election campaign team. Protesting against the dismissal, he enchained himself to a pole opposite the building of the Babruisk city executive committee.

Danuta Chyhir has said her husband is to have trial today.