Demonstration held in Minsk to showcase police brutality

24 August 2020, 15:00 | BY HELP Media Group
Showcasing police brutality
Source: TUT.BY

On 22 August, the My Cell demonstration (or Your Cell, as it’s alternatively referred to in different sources) was held in Minsk’s city centre. It was organised to talk about the horrors recently experienced by peaceful protesters and random passers-by who were arrested.

“Anyone can be thrown in prison, even innocent people walking outside to feed cats in the courtyard, driving a car or going to a local police station to find out where their kids are,” Radio Svaboda reports.

The cases of torture, abuse, and humiliation committed against protesters in police vans, local police stations and detention facilities – especially at Akrescina – have already been compared to the Nazi horrors at Auschwitz.

Released detainees, their friends and acquaintances drew the layout of a cell meant for 6 people. Up to 50 people were crammed in such cells. The same number demonstrators stood within the cell perimeter marked on the pavement tiles. They carried banners describing the physical abuse they suffered and photos displaying their injuries.

To date, the Belarusian Prosecutor’s office has not initiated any investigation against the sadists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), while Yury Karayeu, Minister of Interior, has only apologised for MIA employees’ crimes.

Moreover, Lukashenko called for such actions by law enforcement officers to be forgiven: “Do not kill them. They’re your people. Even if they made mistakes, forgive them”.

My Cell Demonstration Minsk 1
My Cell demonstration, Victory Square, Minsk, Belarus, 22 August 2020
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 2
Banners:
They said they would kill me, and get away with that
Lose consciousness, get beat harder!
Thanks for raping instead of killing?
Forced to strip naked
Source: TUT.BY
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 3
Banners:
We have flashlights, they use flash grenades
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 4
Banners:
We were lying in blood
1.5 litres of water for 30 people
People were tried without lawyers
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 5
Banners:
Passed out from the pain
They called me an animal
No air
I can’t breathe
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 6
Banners:
They pumped gas into the cell
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 7
Banners:
Thanks for raping instead of killing?
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 8
Banners:
Forced to strip naked
They said I’m nobody
We’ll never forget. We’ll never forgive.
No food for 2 days
Detained while feeding cats
Grenades instead of words
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk
Source: TUT.BY
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 10
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 11
Banners:
They put a grenade in my trousers and threatened to detonate it
Injuries for us, awards for them
The Gestapo is back
Bullets dinner
Forced to strip naked
We were lying in pools of blood
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 12
Banners:
I lost consciousness, and they kept beating me.
I had a gun pointed at me
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 13
Source: TUT.BY
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 14
Banners:
Pianist? Have your fingers broken
They poured cold water on me when I asked for water to drink
Thanks for raping instead of killing
How do you sleep at night, Sasha [Lukashenko]? How will you look mothers in their eyes!
Pianist? Have your fingers broken
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 15
Banners:
Passed out from the pain
Forced to strip naked
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
My Cell Demonstration Minsk 16
Banners:
They said they would kill me, and get away with it
Forced to strip naked
Passed out from the pain
They said I’m nobody
We’ll never forget. We’ll never forgive.
No food for 2 days
Grenades instead of words
Pianist? Have your fingers broken
Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

In accordance with Decree No. 305 dated 13 August 2020, over 300 members of security forces were awarded Medals for Impeccable Service (1st class, 2nd class, and 3rd class). The full list of names runs 25 pages.

“The Ministry of Interior stated that the presidential awards for impeccable service are not related to their actions against unsanctioned protests,” TUT.BY reports.