Vitsebsk: Aleh Surhan released from jail

On 27 July 27 morning Aleh Surhan, a political prisoner, was released from the colony in the town of Hlybokaye.

He was met by friends and supporters. Aleh Surhan came up to the car of the people who met him under guard so that the people who came to congratulate the prisoner on his release couldn’t do it.

Bear in mind that on 19 February the Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk sentenced Surhan to 6 months of jail for alleged resistance to police. He was also sentenced to pay 2.5 mln rubles to compensate moral damages to a policeman Siarhei Dudkevich.

The incident which ended in the lawsuit had taken place on 3 September 2009. Aleh Surhan and his younger brother Taras were detained at the bus stop near Vitsebsk medical university. At that moment someone placed white-red-white flag on the building.

In the report drawn up in the Kastrychnitski District Police Department of Vitsebsk, Aleh Surhan was charged with placing the flag there. However later that report disappeared and was replaced with a new one, in which Mr. Surhan was charged with drunk and disorderly behavior in public  and biting a policeman’s finger during the detention.

Aleh Surhan stated that he was tortured at the police department following the detention, which was confirmed by forensic expertise.