Human rights defenders found a "professional" witness in Homiel police
At the end of last month, as well as four years ago, law enforcement officer from Homiel special police unit (AMAP) Vasil Barysenka witnessed the same scene – well before the sunrise activists went to the city streets and “swore in rough course words, violated public order and tranquillity, showed a obvious disrespect to the society."
For instance, on 22 May of this year, at 4:10 am a resident of Homel Yury Rubtsou just returned from Minsk by train and was heading home from the station by foot. He was caught by AMAP policemen, accused of swearing and was taken to the police department, where a report was drawn on him. A man in uniform named Barysenka, who detained the activist, gave the following testimony at the Chyhunachny district court of Homiel: "Around 4:10 am I was on duty to protect public order together with Aliaksandr Peniazkou. We detained Rubtsou near Kisialiova street as he was swearing loudly in public and did not react on our remarks."
As a result, being recently released after 25 days of arrest spending all of them in a hunger strike, Yury Rubtsou has been put to jail again.
Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka recalled the name of the law enforcement official through the false testimonies of which other activists were sent to jail.
On the presidential election day19 December 2010, a trustee of the candidate for the Presidency Mikalai Statkevich, Homel activist Yury Zakharanka, was heading to the railway station in the morning in order to appear together with his colleagues at the Ploshcha. He was also apprehended by the AMAP, accused of swearing in public and taken to the police precinct. AMAP officer also named Barysenka testified at Saviecki district court in Homiel: "About 5 hours and 45 minutes I was near public transport stop “Zavod Puskavyh Ruhavikou” which is located at the Barykina street in Homiel. Zakharanka was swearing loudly in public and did not react to my remarks.”
That time the activist was released after 12 days, which he also spent in a hunger strike as protest against autocracy and false evidence of the police officers.
