Interior Minister promises to check information about Belsat TV journalist Zhukouski harsh treatment
“Any information about the illegal actions of our employees will be checked, including this case. We do not ignore such information and assess the facts. Whether he had his head pressed to the floor or not, I think there was no reason for police officers to act this way. I very much hope that it was the case,” said the Belarus Interior Minister in the commentary to the Euroradio.
On June 21 Kastus Zhukouski, together with the operator Alyaksei Atroshchankau were filmed a report about the state of the economy in Belarusian regions, in particular they were filming the local brick factory building. Their work was suddenly interrupted by the traffic police, local police later arrived and rudely detained journalists.
Later Zhukouski said that he had been knocked to the floor, his head pressed to the floor with a knee, strangled and had handcuffs put on. He had had high blood pressure and had to get medical attention.
On the same day more Belsat correspondents were detained in Zhdanovichy. They recorded an interview with the chairman of the business association “Perspective” Anatol Shumchanka at the “Lebyazhy” market, where inspections and seizures of goods from entrepreneurs had been going for a week.
