“I will never forget the sounds of police batons”

Detained Minsk resident filmed a disturbing video from a police van. Here it is.

26 August 2020 | Katerina Borisevich, TUT.BY

Denis Germanov was sure that the video of his arrest and transportation in the police van would be found in Akrescina detention center and the camera most certainly would not be returned. But when he came to the isolation ward after his release to pick up his possessions, the camera was there among them. Upon coming home, Denis turned it on and saw a fragment of his life filmed on video. A frightening and disturbing one. 

Denis Germanov plays the video, covers his face with his hands and cries. The second time during our conversation. We watch this footage in silence.

“I will never forget that sound, the sound of police batons,” says Denis as he lights up a cigarette. He says on the evening of 10 August he was detained on Pobediteley Avenue. He stood in the “chain of solidarity” and when riot police showed up he raised his hands, did not resist, did not curse and did not grab anyone by the uniform.

The TUT.BY editorial office has the full version of the video at its disposal, in case someone says, “You don’t know what happened before the arrest.” Denis shows footage from start to finish that confirms the words of other detainees: they were beaten, and hard – so hard that some of the men were crying.

“Guys, […] are you crazy? […] What is the problem? I do not understand. For what? I didn’t throw anything! [Baton blows are heard],” asks the man who is being detained by riot police officers and thrown into the van along with others. 

“On the floor! Lay the f…k down. On the floor, quickly!” people in black shout.

“Me too?”

“Yes, face down!”

“Ok, ok.” […] 

“Hands on your head!”

“Guys, I was going home from work,” one of the detainees tries to explain.

“Lay the f…k down! Hands behind your head! [baton blows are heard] I have f.,.king had it with you already.”

“I’m serious, I was going home from work, do you understand, from work,” the man almost cries.

“You b…ch! [New detainees are thrown into the police van] Lay the f…k down! Hands behind the head”. [Baton blows are heard]

“What are you doing?” [Baton blows continue] 

“ […] Lay the f…k down!” The people in black continue to shout.

“Why do you do this? I was driving from work,” the man cries. 

“Shut the f…k up! [Baton blows are heard, someone from the detainees gets a call, a ringtone is audible]. “Why the f…k are you crying, you f…king hero! I said silence, you f…ks.” [Something is transmitted over the radio, baton blows are heard.] “Take this, you animal! Soon, we will come and shave you […] What the f…k are you looking at?” [Sobs, baton blows are heard mixed with сursing.] “Is it uncomfortable laying down, pr…k?” [New detainees are thrown in the van.]  “Come the f…k in and lay the f…k down”.

“I am laying the f…k down,” someone answers calmly […].

“We should all lay down, right?”

“Turn your f…king snout away! On the ground for f…k’s sake!!!” [Baton blows are heard.]

“F…k it hurts. Take him off, my leg is broken.” At this moment new detainees are put on top of each other in the police van and, apparently, the rest are thrown on top of the injured detainee […]. 

“Tell them that there is no space here, there is a lot of [cursing].”

“We are all good, the wagon is full […] Turn the f…k  downwards. Hands behind your back. If I see […].” Then the video stops.

“People just howled at Akrestsina detention center, they were beaten mercilessly”

Denis Germanov can’t make out himself why he decided to fasten a camera to his hoodie pocket when on the evening of 10 August he went to a rally on Pobediteley Avenue. The man suggests that the camera was small and barely noticeable in the dark hence it continued to work. When the police van drove up to the detention center on Akrestsina Street, Denis understood: something needed to be done.

“I unpinned the fastened camera and put it in the sock. If the camera had been found, they would have killed me for sure,” says the 48-year-old from Minsk. “Then we were told to get the laces out of our shoes, put possessions in a bag, it was dim. And then I pulled out the battery with my teeth, put a lighter, cigarettes, keys, camera in a bag. When I was released four days later I came to take my possessions to the isolation ward and the camera was there.”

Denis calls the sounds from baton blows “wild”.

“People just howled at Akrestsina Street, they were beaten mercilessly,” the man notes.

According to Denis, he was beaten three times: during his arrest, in the police van and when he was taken to the detention center.

“They did not take us out at night [other detainees say that riot police beat them at night in the exercise yard, TUT.BY points out], we initially agreed to sit quietly not clattering at the door. Three days later I was taken to trial and sentenced to twelve days. And on the same day, when there were not enough places in the isolation ward, they took us out of the cell, for four hours we knelt, then sat on our buttocks. Then the detainees were loaded into four police vans and we drove off. Where to? We did not know. There were rumors: either to Zhodino, or to Slutsk. We arrived, and there were dogs and people with machine guns in military uniforms and as I understood these were police paramilitary. I looked at the poster, and there was something along the lines of ‘Sobriety is a new way of life.’ It was clear that we are not in Zhodino, this was the detention center for addicts in Slutsk. But I swear not a single baton was swung there. We were immediately led into a hot shower, it was just fantastic,” for the first time Denis has a smile on his face. “Everything was ethical, the military doctor came in. We could not understand what was happening, we thought it was paradise: we saw mattresses, we were given linens, soap, food, we were allowed to smoke. We were called somewhere by our last name, and no one could understand whether this was good or bad. There were 69 people left when the ensign came. ‘Guys, you are all going home. Volunteers are waiting for you out there.’”

And Denis began to cry. He says these moments were priceless: they were greeted with food, hot drinks, cigarettes and were taken home to Minsk.

“I was shouting: ‘People, thank you for being there!’ For two days no one could find me, and then the volunteers did. They came to my apartment door and glued a piece of paper on it saying that I was alive and well in Akrestsina detention center,” Denis continues to tell. “Even before the trial, the policeman came to the cell, opened the feeder hatch and asked whether I agreed with the decision or not. There were two options. If you do not agree there is a 50/50 chance you’d be beaten again with the baton, and the maximum term is 25 days of detention. If you agree – from 10 to 15 days. You see, it felt like we were murderers. I saw nothing except the steps leading to the fourth floor. They do not allow you to raise your head. ‘Lower, lower your head! Hands higher and run!’ Nearby people walk in plain clothes and police uniforms, no one cares. And so I ran into the courtroom, the judge was wearing a mask, she did not raise her eyes. I agreed that I was at the rally, but said that I had not insulted anyone, did not attack, did not do anything illegal, and the judge replied, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ I still do not have a copy of the protocol, the court ruling, only a warning that next time it will be a criminal charge. I asked for documents for work to indicate where I was on days of absence. For each day of detention I owe the state 13.5 rubles for food, yet we were given a loaf of bread for 66 people and water.”

After the isolation ward, Denis went to the hospital. The certificate indicated the diagnosis “subcutaneous hematoma of the posterior-medial surface of the right thigh, the anterior surface of the left thigh.” The man intends to appeal to the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus with a statement. He wants to bring to justice those who beat him up, and also intends to appeal the court ruling.

TUT.BY sent this video to the Municipal Department of Internal Affairs of the Minsk City Executive Committee and the General Prosecutor’s Office.

“We have no right to comment on the actions of our employees,” says Natalya Ganusevich, official representative of the Minsk police department.

The General Prosecutor’s Office refused to comment.