“European Belarus” activists demand to punish riot militiamen for dispersal of action on October 16

• 30.10.2009, 15:54

Oppositionists filed a complaint to the Tsentralny district prosecutor’s office against unlawful actions of militia officers on October square on October 16.

Activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Aleh Ladutska, Pavel Yukhnevich, Palina Dzyakava, Yury Plyashkou and leader of the “BOF Youth” Andrei Krachko said toy and other young people had been standing with portrait of political prisoners on October square. These actions are not a picket and don’t fall under administrative responsibility. Militia officers stopped the event forcefully. Most participants were detained, jeans-by.com reports.

The opposition activist note in the complaints that militia officers didn’t introduce themselves, beat and insulted some detainees.

In this respect, according to article 34 of the Law on Internal Affairs Agencies, young people demand to consider the facts mentioned in the complaint and bring to responsibility the militia officers, who exceeded their power.

We remind that three peaceful actions – on September 9 and 16 and on October 16 were brutally dispersed in Belarus. People were beaten and arrested.

The International Federation for Human Rights and Viasna human rights center addressed Manfred Nowak, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel treatment, regarding dispersal of peaceful opposition demonstrations in Minsk on September 9 and 16. Complaint letters of the victims of unlawful and cruel treatment of riot militia and testimonies of witnesses of torturing are attached to the appeal.