6 days for wrong ideas - Story of anarchist arrested in Belarus

avtonom.org

I was detained on suspicion of attack on DC (Detention Center) “Okrestino” by
law machinery officials on the 24th of September. After three days I was
rearrested and even had no possibility to exit the detention center. That
time I was accused in attack on Trade Union House. Both of these cases were
opened without any direct evidence. There were spoken that I was detained “on
appeared direct suspicions” in both reports. As I’ve gathered from the
investigators’ behavior such direct suspicions could appear in relation to
any citizen of our country. The anarchists are pulled in today, you are to
pull in tomorrow.
Everything started on the 7th of September when the operatives from the
Centralny PD (Police Department) with the assistance of the KGB burst into my
apartment and arranged the search at 7 AM. Valiant heroes confiscated 2 PCs
(you’ll laugh I’ve found one of these computers near my house one summer day
in a pile of garbage, the technician soul could not stand that… but I never
found out what was in it, I had no time or wish), a few SIM cards from
different countries, two antediluvian phones. They also were frightened by
the bookmark with “A” in a circle. Dangerous! Extremely explodes! He-he.
Sappers probably examined it on a firing ground afterwards.
I was absent and I was not intended to go back home.
There was hope that the authorities will calm down and leave me alone. But it
looked like “hiding means guilty” was playing all day in their heads.
Consequently my mother was called for a “conversation” in KGB and they began
inquiring about my personality. It happened on the 17th of September. Staying
at home on the 18th of September, where the search was arranged on the 7th, I
was calling KGB’s officials to the utmost for that one conversation for which
they had been looking for me. BUT Saturday is for families, shish kebab and
something… So I was ringing them all the week-end with no result, and then I
had just bored. Finally what the specials which can’t find me even at home. I
went to work later and had been working till the 24th of September – Alena
Dubovik, Alexander Jerashevich and Anya Chernysheva were arrested. So I
thought I was not pleased by the prospect of a call at 7 AM absolutely and
decided to make one more attempt to get in touch on the phone with the KGB’s
officials. They answered and invited for a conversation. Was I fool or not
but I asked a man on the other side of the handset if they are going to close
me up. I packed things for the departure to the DC (tooth brush, warm socks,
sweater, water, books) and went to the officials after promises to talk an
hour and not to arrest me.
Here come the most interesting things. I had no doubt they are interested in
the attack on the Russian embassy. I was not going to panic or worry – I had
been at the railway station at the time of the attack. Of course they invited
me to prove it, because as it had become known observation cameras aren’t fit
for the evidence base in this case. A few unidentified KGB Antiterrorist
department officers were trying their best to argue me that the cameras are
installed to help traffic cops sort out traffic violations in truth. It
doesn’t matter that the cameras are placed inside the building. They are not
afraid of putting logic into practice. The officials were growing hysterical
during all the interrogation, trying to hold the conversation with restraint
sometimes. Everything was coming to “you were there and we know it” in most
cases. They mentioned something about the confrontation once, but the
threatening was the end of it all.
Everyone promises to set free. But as we know from the history ONE CANNOT
TRUST KGB. After the conversation of half an hour's duration, in the issue of
which three questioning me officers had bailed up, I was moved to the DOCC
(Department of Organized Crime Control). They said I had been smiling too
much and being “some kinda bold” when I asked “in connection with what?”
The guys in the DOCC are less tactful and they began instantly yelling they
knew it all. I was always interested in such a method… well if you know
everything, so why do I sit in front of you till now? The “conversations”
with the same questions and still without any reports started again. The
operatives were suffering long and finally had broke up – they said I was a
witness and if they would not like my evidence they jail me for a day. I had
realized I would sleep at least 3 days in “Okrestino” when they moved me to
the DOCC. The conversation was becoming too loud sometimes so the next door
operatives gathered to watch what is going on. Once the things came to boil
so they promised to throw me out the window, “and let them look for him then”
I immediately remembered I had been delivered in the DOCC by the gate,
through the parking. They invited the hacker driver after seeing that the
threatening does not help. I’ve remembered “so what? gonna jail him with
outrage” by him very well. No one had present himself during all the time
being arrested in the DOCC. There were only Petes and Jones with no last
names.
Riding on a service car to the Moscovskoje PD and continuing a circus. The
investigator from there didn’t know I was going to come. They went to the
chief of the PD for asking a permission to close me up in the suspicion of
the attack on the DC on the 6th of September. He didn’t even stir because of
the order from KGB – just in case I was recklessly told by the investigator
in the “Okrestino” afterwards when he had come to sign the papers for my
release. The arrest report was finally executed in the DOCC, and I was
interrogated. They were not interested most of all in where I had been or
what I had been doing at the time of the attack on the “Okrestino”, but in
people I had related with, where had we get to know and how much had the
chocolate cost which I had eaten on the 24th of September 2007.
They messed about with papers about 4 hours and finally I began falling
asleep. But as it turned around the escort which is to deliver me to the DC
doesn’t take any luggage. I.e. all thing I had prepared expecting to the trip
are left at the DOCC. Lamentably, but there’s nothing for it. They threw me
into the paddy wagon and carried to the DC.
DC is rather strange place. I had read *all the rules* before I got there but
most of them are NOT observed. For example nobody will guide you for a walk
because the DC is short of personnel to exercise something like this. The
list of things available for parcels does not meet the requirements. Getting
a pen or a sheet of paper is near fantastic. Prison guards do not also worry
about what is in the containers you are receiving – everything I’ve got was
sealed up.
I found it funny that the body search was carried out by the boyo of 25 years
which lives in the same house with me. Initially he did not recognized me and
was behaving quite rude. He was roaring here and there and it looked like he
was not good at speaking. But he calmed down at sight as he knew my home
address. He blushed for sure.

After lights out I got to the ward that became my home for the next six days.
In spite of everyday mixing and transfering people from one ward to another,
nobody touched me till the very end of my detention.
There is a toilet, a tap with hot and cold water, plank beds, a bench, a table
and bed-side tables in the ward. The rooms can be for 2-6 people. Besides all
above mentioned in every ward there is a camera that keeps watch at all your
steps in order to prevent possible accidents.
Food is given three times per day:
8:00 breakfast: porridge
16:00 lunch: soup and porridge with a cutlet
18:00 dinner: porridge
At 6:00 they give you a cup of tea and a peace of bread. After that it is
impossible to get something drinkable. Tap water is too chlorinated — after
some days of drinking it even the most inveterate convicts have stomach
problems.
Despite all the rules, one and all were thrown into the ward. During the 6
days I managed to sit together with a person suspected in a murder, sexual
assault and armed assault. Most of the people sit due to the problems with
alcohol — they got drunk and did some stupidity like stealing a laptop or a
cellphone. There you can also learn about the methods of crime disclosure by
our valiant authorities: once a drug-addict, promised to be released in his
own custody, took on responsibility for 15 cases of pilferage. The police
makes use of people having withdrawals, who are ready to do anything for
heygh.
Everything is as usual upon the expiry of the three days. I did not expect any
miracles. The investigative officer of the Moskovsky police department had
released me on my own custody, and in 10 min the investigative officer of the
Centralny PD processed papers for detention in the matter of the attack on
the Trade Union House. Different police departments, same questions. 2 hours
of interrogation and back to the cell for 70 hours. During the whole staying
at the pre-trial detention center nobody came to interrogate me. It turned
out to be a punitive detention without any reason. At the DOCC officers were
really pride of themselves, beating breast and battologizing they are a
punitive agency.
Some words about a hunger-strike. If you decide to go on it there then
immediately call the head of the pre-trial detention center or the temporary
detention facility, as ordinary mortal cops don't care about your quirks.
According to the official papers, I was not on hunger-strike but received
dietary (which I gave to my cellmates), and after the first three days the
interrogating officer asked me why had I decided not to go on hunger-strike.
That's the mess we are in, and in the end, after my detention term was
prolonged for another three days I decided to stop the hunger-srike and was
eating in a normal way.
What else to add? On the whole, I was detained for six days just because of my
concern about social issues. Nowadays they punish you not only for the deeds
but for thoughts as well. Sooth to say, I don't see any difference between
modern law-enforcement authorities and the Medieval inquisition... the only
thing is that they don't burn you on fire now — it would look too
barbarically.

Igor T.


(Russian original https://belarus.indymedia.org/21276)