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CASE #29
Date
12 / 08 / 2020 – 13 / 08 / 2020
City
Minsk
Perpetrators
  • Special Purpose Police Unit OMON
  • Undefined
Type of violation
  • Arbitrary or unlawful arrest and/or detention
  • Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
  • Denial of appropriate conditions of detention
  • Deprivation of food and/or water
  • Forced to sign unknown document(s)
  • Sexual threats
  • Unlawful confiscation of property
  • Use of excessive force
  • Use of rubber bullets (close proximity)
  • Verbal abuse
International classification of violations
  • Prohibition of torture (standalone)
  • Prohibition of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
  • Right to fair trial (procedural violations)
  • Right to liberty and security of person
  • Right to protection of property
  • Violation of rights of detained or imprisoned persons
Description

Time: around 23 PM

Place/Location: Kuibysheva str., near residential area

Identity of the victim(s): Audio recording #17. Pictures of the victim's traumas - Folder #17.

Identity of the perpetrator(s): Special agents (no insignia visible); police officers (supposedly working in Soviet RUVD)

While waiting near the residential area of Kuibisheve, the victim was brutally detained by two men dressed in regular clothes lacking any insignia or official identification. Several minutes later, the victim was passed to Special Purpose Police Unit OMON members who appeared in the place of his detention.

The victim was frisked, during which his passport with an invalid Shengen visa was found. The discovery of the invalid Shengen visa served as grounds for OMON to accuse him of being the protest's coordinator. The victim was thrown into a paddy wagon going to Soviet RUVD (Regional Internal Affairs Directorate). Upon arrival at the RUVD, the victim was asked to provide his cellphone's password. When he refused to do so, he was left alone in the paddy wagon and water was poured on him. His trousers and underwear were torn and a truncheon put in between his buttocks. He was threatened to be raped with a truncheon if he did not provide his cellphone's password.

When he finally provided the password, he was shot with a paintball gun around ten times. The victim was later put into the front yard of RUVD where he was made to sign a document testifying against himself without having an opportunity to read or understand its contents. He was prohibited from looking at the police officers in charge and to ask any questions; any questions were considered as reasonable grounds to use excessive force. After signing the documents, the victim was kept in RUVD for around 10 hours facing the wall. He felt unwell and experienced severe headaches and nausea. He asked for medical help which he was refused.

Later he was brought to the detention center at Akrestina street where he was made to lie on the ground for the following 8 hours, approximately. In addition, he was made to sign a further document to confirm that he had been notified of the prison sentence in the case of participation in any mass protest. He was released on the evening of August, 13th 2020. The victim did not receive all his belonging on leaving detention: food, drinks, and his cellphone were missing.

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