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CASE #137
Date
01 / 09 / 2020
City
Minsk
Perpetrators
  • Plain clothed police officers
  • Special Purpose Police Unit OMON
  • Undefined
Type of violation
  • Arbitrary or unlawful arrest and/or detention
  • Physical assaults (other)
  • Use of excessive force
International classification of violations
  • Right to freedom of movement
  • Right to freedom of opinion and expression
  • Right to freedom of peaceful assembly
  • Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion
  • Right to liberty and security of person
Description

Time: daytime

Place/Location: At a bus stop Plošča Pieramohi (Victory Square)

Identity of the victim(s): victim 1: a student, black jeans and jumper, white running shoes, white-red-white flag over his shoulders; victim 2: a student, blue rain jacket, white sport paints, red running shoes, white-red-white flag.

Identity of the perpetrator(s): OMON agents; police; unknown men in civilian clothes - their faces are not covered with masks, possible to identify; a serviceman in camouflage uniform, a maroon beret, and a black mask from Specnaz (most probably).

The police blocked a sidewalk preventing a group of student-demonstrators from walking in the opposite direction from Plošča Pieramohi. An OMON agent ordered the students to turn around and leave. Students refused. They kept standing on the sidewalk with their arms locked forming a chain. The police started pushing them back and randomly grabbed men to break the chain.

Two more video-records of this incident showed the detention of students. One of them shouted "Long Live Belarus". Both students had white-red-white flags. The students caused no damage to property in the observable space. Five agents of special forces attempted brutal detention of one student: two policemen, one OMON agent, and two plainclothes police officers.

The student was grabbed by his right ear though the police were trying to prevent him from moving his head or shouting slogans. The other student (in a blue raincoat) was forced to bend over with arms tied behind his back. In the first video, he could be seen staying upfront in the chain of students.

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