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CASE #144
Date
04 / 09 / 2020
City
Minsk
Perpetrators
  • Plain clothed police officers
  • Special Purpose Police Unit OMON
Type of violation
  • Arbitrary or unlawful arrest and/or detention
  • Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
  • Use of excessive force
International classification of violations
  • Prohibition of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
  • Right to freedom of opinion and expression
  • Right to freedom of peaceful assembly
  • Right to liberty and security of person
Description

Time: daytime

Place/Location: 21 Zaharova street, the main building of Minsk State Linguistic University

Identity of the victim(s): 4th year student Nikita Anackiy, Prohor Novitskiy, other students

Identity of the perpetrator(s): OMON agents and undefined men, allegedly KGB special forces

Severe detention of students by OMON agents and men in civilian clothes. One of the students was pulled in the university lobby. Another was escorted with his head low and arms in a very unnatural position. Nikita's arms were twisted behind his back by men in civilian clothes. Perhaps the screaming of a suffering man in one of the videos where neither the victim nor perpetrators are seen is his. Some bystanders screamed to leave "a minor" alone, "Nikita" and "Shame on you".

In another video, a girl's voice, allegedly a student, urged a representative of the university administration to ask OMON to go away. She called the name of the detained student in blue jeans and a dark sweater - Prohor. Prohor was set free the same day according to his interview to The Current Time (Настоящее время).

Katya, a 2nd-year student of the Interpreting and Translation Faculty, who was a witness to the detention, described the perpetrators as being physically and verbally abusive to students observing the assault, intimidating them. She stated that the university management was present and took no action to protect students. Prior to the arrests, students were singing a song and chanted "Long Live Belarus!" on one of the floors. OMON agents appeared to disperse them.

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