Beaten for a white-red-white flag

16.09.2008. Tags: Young Front, detentions, beating.
Source: RFE/RL.

The police detained Andrus Tsianiuta, activist of Young Front, during the celebration of the Day of the City. In the evening of September 13th Andrus was walking to a concert in the Ice Palace with a white-red-white flag. The policemen pulled the Young Front activist out of the crowd, knocked him down and beat him.

Andrus says, the policemen dislocated his finger and injured his knee.

First the guy was taken to the police station in Mazurau street. Later they took him to Centralny district police department. The police drew up several reports on him, in particular, he was charged with usage of foul language and resistance to police.

Tsianiuta spent the night in a cold room, sitting on concrete floor.

In the morning the police wanted to take him to a detention center where he would await the trial. However, Andrus demanded to call for a doctor because he felt really unwell because of the severe cold. He was released without summons to court. Having received medical aid, Tsianiuta left Homel.

Andrus Tsianiuta is 21. He is a distant student of the Russian Agricultural Academy. Last year he was arrested for spreading leaflets in support of Zmitser Zhaleznichenka, the straight-A student who had been expelled from university for political reasons.

Homel KGB searched the apartment of Tsianiuta’s parents and interrogated the guy as a suspect in the criminal case of activity on behalf of unregistered organization Young Front