Nasha Niva Journalist Will Press for Criminal Case Against Police

31.03.2005.

This is the information provided by Radio Liberty. Yulia Darashkievich, Hrodna-based reporter with the Nasha Niva newspaper, is going to press for a criminal case against police officers who prevented her from doing her professional duties. While dispersing the businessmen’s rally in Hrodna, special police detained Yulia Dashkievich: “I survived through stress, when two special police officers were dragging me, a young pretty girl, through the city center, which left awfully painful and large bruises all over my body. I was shocked, I could imagine this happening to me. I am not a terrorist, I am just a law-abiding citizen, and I was treated as if I had done something terribly evil. Secondly, I am indignant at the way the police chief Chubanau behaved, who had given the order to do this to me. He was unbelievably rude, shouting: “Freeze! Where is your accreditation card!” Then he simply said: “Take her away." So these two police officers grabbed me and dragged me onto the other side of the rally site".
Yulia Darashkievich wants justice restored. She received the following response to her complaint from the Leninski Borough Police Department of Hrodna. It says that the special police officers acted to ensure the safety of the journalist and her photographic equipment. However, Yulia Dashkievich does not agree with this, because the special police officers threatened her, used brutal force dragging her across the square and hit the camera in the process. Yulia plans to appeal to higher level agencies, and will press for a criminal case.