Uladzimir Lemesh: "The police didn't let me go after the trial"
The Salihorsk activist of the "European
Belarus" Uladzimir Lemesh, fined by the Pershamaiski District
Court of Minsk, told about the circumstances of his
detention.
According to him, he had a number of important
appointments on the evening of 14 January, connected with a topical
exhibition dedicated to letters of political prisoners. The first
meeting was to have taken place at 4 p.m. on the metro station
"Academiya Navuk".
"Some people in mufti ran up
to me in the underground crossing, waved their ID before my eyes and
started pushing me. They ignored my demand to introduce themselves,
let me see their documents and tell the reasons for my detentions,"
says Uladzimir Lemesh. I started calling for help. A worker of the
metro station ran there. Then the people in mufti calmed down, showed
him their documents and told me they would explain everything at the
police station."
They took away the mobile phone from the
activist and took him to the Pershamaiski District Police Department
of Minsk on a blue minibus. As it was found there, they were officers
of riot police and the activist of the "European Belarus"
was allegedly detained because he resembled a wanted
criminal.
"However, nobody checked my resemblance to the
alleged criminal. I was charged with "waving hands" and
insubordination to the police. Everything was done quite cynically.
They drew up a false accusation report and put me in a "glass"
for the night – a cell 2x2 meters, without windows, with a concrete
bench," said Uladzimir Lemesh.
In the morning the
youngster was taken to the Pershamaiski District Court. The trial
took place in a small room. The only testimony was given by one of
the riot policemen who had detained the activist.
"The
judge told me to plead guilty to soften the penalty. I didn't do it,
as my detention was absolutely illegal and evidently connected to my
civil and political activities. As a result I was fined 3 million
rubles," though the police promised me 15 days of arrest before
the trial."
According to the activist, this verdict was a
surprise for the policemen. They didn't let him go for 15 minutes
after the end of the trial, and released him only after consultations
with their brass.
Uladzimir Lemesh has ten days to appeal the
verdict. However, he still hasn't decided whether it was worthy to
waste time on it. The activist is sure the court will not take his
side in any case.