Criminal case instigated on kidnapping of Dzianis Karnou and Nasta Palazhanka

A criminal case has been instigated on the kidnapping of the Young Front activists Dzianis Karnou and Nasta Palazhanka on the eve of the 25 March rally.

The activist received a letter from the prosecutor’s office, signed by the head of the inquest department A.Bychkou. There it is stated that Frunzenski district police department of Minsk has brought a criminal case under Article 339, part 2 of the Criminal Code on the basis of their application concerning the unlawful activities against them on 25 March, and the necessary investigative actions are conducted with the aim to determine the persons who have committed the crime.

Bear in mind that on the eve of the Freedom Day Dzianis Karnou and Nasta Palazhanka were kidnapped by unknown persons. Dzianis was beaten and robbed.

The victims applied to the police and on 29 April received a negative answer. The head of the third department of the inner security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs wrote that ‘within the limits of a duty check-up it was impossible to prove or disprove the arguments about your unlawful detention, beating of Dzianis Karnou and theft of 120 000 rubles from him because of the impossibility to identify the policemen.’

After this civil activists applied to the prosecutor general, a number of state organs and embassies demanding a proper investigation of the crimes against Dzianis Karnou and Nasta Palazhanka, as well as against Artur Finkevich and Mikita Krasnou, who were repressed by the security services. The address was signed by several dozens of politicians and artists.

What concerns the applications of A.Finkevich and M.Krasnou, whose cases were suspended, in the answer it is stated that the suspension rulings were abolished and the cases were returned to the appropriate police departments for additional preliminary investigation.