“After explaining the motives of their actions to the investigators, one of the suspects told that he damaged billboards out of resentment toward law enforcement employees” – was written on the website of the Investigative Committee, which continues to investigate the criminal case.
At the moment, the guys have spent in total 20 days imprisoned. One of them, Maksim Piakarski, had his 24th birthday in jail.
Maksim Piakarski, a defendant in the “case of graffiti artists” has told the human rights defenders, how the detention was held:
“At the time of detention me, Vadzim Zharomski and a citizen of the Russian Federation were in the apartment, the windows in our room were closed. We were sitting and talking about everyday life. Suddenly I noticed that something was spilling down on the windowsill. Literally several seconds later a man in uniform on a tightrope smashed the window, took out his pistol, pointing at us and shouted: “Everyone lie down!”. After that, another one immediately flew in the window, shouting: “Don’t you like the Soviet power?”. We are shocked at what is happening. Then they start cursing, beating us and use an electric shocker. One o them opened the door and some more people got in. All in all, there became about ten policemen, including investigators.
Then they started to apply psychological pressure, knock out confessions in drawing the graffiti and question us in turn right in the apartment, threatening with jail.
Then they searched the apartment, very thoroughly, looking through every sheet of paper. However, they brought the attesting witnesses only in about 20 minutes after the beginning of the search. Then they started attaching and withdraw our computers, memory cards, documents and bank cards. They spoiled some property in the apartment – for instance, smashed a glass table.
They started threatening that they would jail not only us, but also my girlfriend. She phoned me at that very time, and one of them put up the receiver and called her in for an interrogation by lies. He said that I had allegedly knocked down a child while driving a bike, and it was necessary for her to come.
I wasn’t allowed to make telephone calls, my rights were grossly violated, including the right to defense.
After the search we were lead out in handcuffs, as criminals, put into a car and driven to the Investigative Committee. They continued pressurizing us, threatening and questioning until the night. They said that we had gotten to the “base” and would never go out to freedom. They also interrogated my girlfriend, intimidating and pressurizing her.”
Let us remind, that on 11 August 5 youth activists were detained in Minsk: Maksim Piakarski, Vadzim Zharomski, Viachaslau Kasinerau, Yaraslau Ulyianenkau and a citizen of the Russian Federation Pavel (last name unknown). The latter two were later released on bail, while Maksim Piakarski and Vadzim Zharomski were taken into custody before charges were brought against them. One of the detained is in custody in hospital, where he was placed with a double fracture of the jaw inflicted as a result of detention by the Interior Ministry officers.
The reason for the prosecution of these young people and their detention before bringing charges was a criminal case on the fact of the appearance of political graffiti on the fence and also the damage of property of the individual entrepreneur (big boards with the image of the police officers) on the Harecky street in Minsk. Now activists are the suspects in the criminal case for the spraying of patriotic graffiti, which is “grossly violating public order and expressing clear disrespect for society.” There were words “Belarus should be Belarusian” stated in this graffiti.
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