Human rights defender Andrey Bandarenka has come under police harrasment after he told Belsat TV about tortures in a local police precinct of the town of Lida (Hrodna region).
The policemen made an enquiry to Kirausk (Mahiliou region) where Mr Bandarenka is formally registered and informed him of presumable institution of criminal proceedings for alleged slandering on Lida policemen. In their turn, officers of kirausk local police precinct inveted the human rights defender for stating the facts of the case. But as they did not send him an official summons, Andrey Bandarenka refused to appear.
On February 28, 2013 Belsat TV covered the story of Shkurko brothers: in news item “Epauletted sadists” Andrey Bandarenka gave specifics of torture in Lida police precinct. Ivan and Bahdan Shkurko were severely beaten, physically and morally drained. The policemen used batons and sprayed pepper gas in Ivan Skurko’s eyes and anus; then they took him to the forest, stripped to the buff and … pissed on the young man.
Ivan Shkurko’s offenders still remain unpunished; moreover, the brothers are now facing criminal and administrative responsibility for alleged resistance to authority.
Belsat TV is keeping track of developments in the story.
