Witnesses of journalist's detention: "We thought he was a drug dealer"

Journalist Pavel Svyardlou was detained on the morning of June 22 near his porch. He was accused of "swearing for no reason and not reacting to policemen's remarks".

Photo from Pavel Svyardlou's page in social networks

We headed for that place the next day - Rafiyeu Street, 80 - and approached the journalist's porch. Theoretically, Svyardlou's neighbours could complain about "swearing for no reason". 

"Oh, I was at work", "I had left for my summer house", "I was on a  business trip", - answered his neighbours. They were surprised when they got to know about Pavel's detention.

We have not heard any critical remarks about Pavel from his neighbours. And you could expect it! The guy graduated from university with straight A's. He received a "crystal owl" awarded to the best "What? Where? When?" player in Kiev last year. Pavel has always been considered an educated and polite journalist too.

The local district police officer did not know about Pavel's detention either. Nobody had ever complained about him.

We headed for Rafiyeu Street, 80 on Monday at about 10 a.m.. Svyardlou was detained there at the same time. People had already left for work.

"I was tidying up. I left at half past nine, a bit earlier than usual", - said Tatstsyana Sidarenka, the cleaner responsible for the porch.

Euroradio: Do you know this guy?

Tatstsyana Sidarenka: "He usually descends when I'm cleaning. He lives on the second floor".

Euroradio: Have you ever heard him swearing?

Tatstsyana Sidarenka: "I haven't. He descends calmly with his bag ".

It seemed that Pavel Svyardlou was detained very quickly without any witnesses. Leaving the place, we suddenly met an accidental witness (his name will not be mentioned for his safety).

The guy was sitting on a bench in the yard with his friend when Svyardlou was detained. Both of them thought that ... a drug dealer was being "busted".

 “Two or three people approached him as soon as he left the porch, one of them showed his ID. The guy was led to a minibus, - says the witness. - My friend had been in the porch before it happened. He saw a stranger descending the stairs. He looked strong. One could guess that he was a policeman. My friend went to buy some beer and returned. We were sitting on a bench. The minibus was parked there. There were three people in the minibus. Then he "got busted".

The same blue minibus was parked near Euroradio's office on the same day, "strong guys" were waiting for one more journalist - Vital Ruhain.

Euroradio: Did you see him being busted?

Witness: "We were watching it. He was probably involved in some illegal trade".

A blue minibus near Euroradio's office

We managed to phone the witness who had come across the stranger looking like a policeman in the porch.  The guy confirmed his friend's words. He expressed a thought that they were waiting for Pavel as the journalist did not even have time to say a word.

Pavel Svyardlou was detained in a rather cultured way. They did not throw him on the ground.

The journalist said the same after the trial.

As Euroradio has found out, the strong guys were not ordinary policemen. Members of special police troops "accidentally" headed for the outskirts of the city. Two of the fighters, Korzhyk and Vouchak, were witnesses in court. No other witnesses were invited. However, it was so easy to find them...