Artist Ales Pushkin seized computer during searching

• 3.09.2008, 15:53

Artist Ales Pushkin demands to return his things he was seized during the search in the case of Minsk blast. He sent an appropriate request to prosecutor of Minsk Mikalai Kulik.

An artist’s house in Bobr (the Krupki district, the Minsk region) town was searched on August 27. “On that day I was summoned to the directorate for crime detection of the militia department of the Minsk city executive committee. An investigator was polite and talkative. Then my wife Yanina phoned to me and told our house had been searched by KGB officers,” A. Pushkin said.

As the artists informed, 56 things were seized: a computer, CDs, video- and audiodisks, videocassettes, books. “The most interesting fact is that a document – copy signed by former KGB head Stsyapan Sukharenka, was seized. I don’t know what this document contains, I don’t remember I had this document,” A. Pushkin said.

“I think. The search and summon to the directorate for crime detection were specially held at the same time. If I had been at home, I would have thrown them out of my house. They know I would have done this. If I would have kicked them out, I had created many difficulties for them: in this case they had handcuffed me and instigated a criminal case. But I was just summoned to Minsk,” A. Pushkin supposes.

“In general, different bodies abuse a Belarusian feature of obeying the laws. Earlier, if they wanted an event to fail, they “laid mines” in art galleries. Even Krapivinskaya field, a traditional site for celebrating the Day of Belarusian Military Glory, was “mined” last year. Now they search apartments of artists. This mess must be stopped,” A. Pushkin thinks.

In the artist’s view, he will be given his property back no sooner than in 6 months.