Chronicle of repressions in Belarus in 2009
- 19.02.2010, 16:07
The human rights service of the civil campaign “European Belarus” has recorded more than 300 facts of repressions against activists of the campaign in 2009.
During the last year activists of “European Belarus” were detained, beaten up, fined, intimidated for dissemination of independent information, staging peaceful protests and promotion of European values.
The number of beating up during arrests and tortures in police departments has grown considerably. Thus, 34 cases of beating up activists of the campaign by policemen have been documented; including several cases of mass beating up during disband of mass rallies, when several dozens of people were beaten. 11 cases of inhuman and cruel treatment in police departments have been recorded. In each of those cases from a few to several dozens of people were affected.
Policemen and KGB officers held 18 illegal searches in flats of campaign’s activists were held. They were accompanied by seizure of informational materials, European symbols and other property, including computers, cameras and other equipment. Attempts to return the property were most often either fruitless, or the property was returned in such a state which was beyond repair.
More than 50 administrative trials against activists of “European Belarus” were held. As a result of them, the total sum of fines was more than 17 million rubles. Most sessions of the court were held behind the closed doors without lawyers and presence of the public. Besides, 2 guilty criminal verdicts were delivered against the campaign activists, as a result activists were sentenced to imprisonment. As before, an activist of “European Belarus” Maxim Dashuk is serving a criminal sentence.
2 activists of the campaign were kidnapped by the unknown and forcibly taken out of town, which was accompanied by the use of force and threats of bodily harm. In one of the cases, during abduction of Uladzimir Lemesh, policemen in uniform were taking part in the abduction, and in another case the abducted Yauhen Afnagel recognized a riot policeman who had been taking part in the crime. Investigation of these cases hasn’t taken place in fact, which leaves little doubt that the kidnappers were acting on the order of commanders of law-enforcing agencies.
It should be noted that only “European Belarus” activists are referred to here, and repressions are carried out against other participants of the democratic movement as well. By no means unimportant is a fact that in 2009 no political campaigns like elections or referendum were held, and the number of repressions at such a period increases considerably.