Deputy Head of BSDP Hramada Answers Questions of Police for 2 Hours

27.03.2007.

On March 27, at about 4 p.m. 8 people in civil clothes visited the apartment of Ales Straltsou, deputy chairman of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Hramada. They began to maje a video-recording right away. They suggested Straltsou should immediately follow them to Partyzanski police department and give explanations about his participation in the protest action on March 25 and his speech near the Academy of Sciences. Straltsou barely had time to put his coat on and call the Human Rights Center “Viasna”.

In the police station he had a long conversation with police officers who asked various questions about the rally and other speakers. On the table he saw several videotapes. Most probably, they had a police video recording of the action. The police officers were mostly interested if he was one of the organizers of the rally, where he had a speech and what exactly he said.

Straltsou asked a question if he was interrogated as a witness or a suspect in the case. The police officer replied he was doing a preliminary investigation and knew nothing about criminal proceedings instigated against some organizers of the action. In the end of the 2-hour-long tconversation the police officer warned him soon he might be summoned to Partyzanski police department again. He failed to say if Straltsou would be interrogated as a witness or a suspect in the case.