Lastouski: If they acted so, then it was necessary

More than 160 people were detained at the silent protest action in Minsk on June 29. According to eye-witnesses, unknown people in plain clothes detained even more people than the policemen in uniform did.

Such unknown person in plain clothes detained Rimma Ushkevich near McDonald's, without any introductions or explanations.

Rimma Ushkevich: “He approached from behind asking my friend and me to leave that place. When I asked what was the reason for that he said "Let’s go, I'll explain you the reason". He pushed me in the back and convoyed me into the arch, there was an ordinary minibus taxi No. 175. About 6 policemen in uniform were sitting in it. He put me there, together with a young man whom I had not known before”.

According to the girl, they spent about an hour in the mini-bus, trying to find out the reason for their detention. The policemen started asking the man in plain clothes to release at least the girl. He refused.  

Rimma failed to find out who that man was - he did not reveal his name or position.

There are many examples of such detentions. However, to the question who those people in plain clothes were, which their duties were and whether they were authorized to act like this, the head of the city administration of internal affairs Aliaksandr Lastouski said that the police chose how to act themselves.

Aliaksandr Lastouski: “Why do we omit the fact there was a mass event? It is up to the police to decide how to act. I am not saying that they have a right to do whatever they want, I mean that they are responsible for their own actions. Therefore, if they acted like this, then it was necessary. This I can say for sure. I cannot say anything about whether it was legal though”.

He advised to pay attention to one's behaviour.

Euroradio has asked the representative of the Minsk police what would happen if a person resisted to the plain-clothed strangers. According to Aliaksandr Lastouski, if we suppose those plain-clothed people were policemen, then it would have been interpreted as resistance to the police, in the protocols.

Lawyer Harry Pahaniayla also warns against such resistance.

Harry Pahaniayla: “I cannot give a recommendation like "If you are physically strong - beat those bastards", as they are likely to beat you, or to damage your health, God save. However, citizens naturally have a right to use violence against those who act so illegally”.

Human right defender Nasta Lojka thinks the same. At the same time, she says, it is necessary to demand that they should introduce themselves and explain the reason for detention. Then, it is reasonable to inform as many people as possible about the detention - relatives, journalists, human rights defenders. Then - to claim the police's actions after release, dependless on whether they had made charges or not.