Sensation: Policemen Whose Actions Resulted in Detainee’s Death Are Finally Brought to Account
In July 2004 on the bank of Palata river policemen of Polatsk city internal affairs department detained on suspicion in theft two brothers, Viachaslau and Siarhei. The latter of them celebrated his 27th birthday that day.
According to Sovetskaya Belorussiya, the detainees were taken to different offices of the department of internal affairs. In some time deputy chair of the criminal search department and three policemen entered room #50 where Siarhei was kept. The former asked Siarhei whether he had already taken the blame. According to the version of the police, Siarhei jumped up from the seat and started to use four-letter words. Then they put his hand in hand-cuffs. He tried to get rid of them and… lost conscience. The police called for an ambulance that registered the death.
After two years of investigation the versions about death because of alcoholic intoxication, heat stroke or fit of a disease were declined. The medics reached the conclusion that the death happened as a result of a kick into solar plexus – a haematoma was found there. The policemen didn’t take the blame and the performer of the murder still remains unknown. However, the court also found them guilty of abuse of their official powers: they wrote the detention report with violations and didn’t take the detainee to a duty department or a temporary isolator. As a result three policemen were sentenced to 5 years of jail and one – to one year. Besides, Polatsk city internal affairs department is to pay 7 million rubles of moral compensation to Siarhei’s mother.
