Court turns down appeal of Uladzimir Marozau against smothering by police
On 12 January the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk
considered the appeal of disabled Uladzimir Marozau against the refusal of the
Pershamaiski District Procuracy of Minsk to instigate a criminal case against
the policemen who had smothered the man during a peaceful protest action.
Bear in mind that on 6 July 2011 the invalid was sitting on a bench near the National
Library. An action of protest was taking place there at the time. A man in
plain clothes approached him and told him to go away. The man didn’t introduce
himself and didn’t show his policeman’s ID, that’s why the pensioner said that
he wasn’t taking part in any actions and continued sitting on the bench.
After this, several policemen threw him on the ground and started smothering.
On 11 November the Pershamaiski District Procuracy of Minsk refused to
instigate a criminal case on the fact because of “absence of corpus delicti” in
actions of the policemen.
Uladzimir Marozau suffers from heart illnesses and diabetes. It is difficult
for him to move. He wrote about it in his appeal to the Minsk prosecutor.