Trial over Barazenka: policemen beat youth leader Andrei Kim

Policemen in mufti beat the youth leader Andrei Kim near Tsentralny district court of Minsk, where the political prisoner Alexander Barazenka was tried. Kim was beaten when Barazenka was being taken out of the court and the people who came to support him started chanting ‘Freedom!’ and ‘Long Live Belarus!’ Three policemen in mufti assaulted him.

Andrei Kim thusly commented on the incident: ‘When Barazenka came out, three riot policemen in mufti jumped on me. They knocked me down and pulled me face to the asphalt. Now my cheek is swollen, blood started running from it. I can’t see quite well with one of my eyes…

Before the assault I simply tried to explain to them that we gathered there because we supported Alexander and thought that he was judged unfairly. I added that if tomorrow they would be tried, no one would come to them. On the contrary, the police would have to guard them from indignant people. They had nothing to answer. My mother got on her nerves when they saw them assault me. She had a hysterics. It was made in a rude way and unexpectedly for everyone,’ said Andrei Kim.

Bear in mind that Kim, like Barazenka, is one of the defendants in the Process of 14. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail for participation in a protest action of entrepreneurs. Kim was released on 20 August 2008.