‘Mass riots’: Court passes guilty verdict on 21-y.o. girl who was severely beaten in remand prison
On April 7, Maskouski District Court of Minsk announced a guilty verdict in the case of young political prisoner Alyaksandra Patrasayeva who had been behind bars for nearly six months.
The defendant was charged with active participation in mass riots (Part 2 Article 293 of the Criminal Code). In court Alyaksandra pleaded not guilty, but judge Volha Malashanka has taken heed of prosecutor Fyodar Sinitski’s demand and sentenced her to three years of the restriction of liberty without being sent to a correction facility.
Alyaksandra Patrasayeva was born in Vileika district. She became an orphan at the age of 6, was brought up in Churlinski educational and pedagogical complex and lived in foster families. The girl worked in Minsk as an advertising agent.
The 21-year-old was detained on the night of August 1! at the Institute of Culture metro station. That evening the girl was helping the victims of law enforcement in the area of the Riga supermarket. She was kept in the notorious detention centre on Akrestsin Street for three days. She told about tortures: beatings, humiliations, insults, threats to rape. According to Alyaksandra, she was forced to undress and stand up for stretching, she was beaten by a woman. She came out of the jail with broken legs and torn ligaments; she had to have the leg cased.
In mid October, Alyaksandra Patrasayeva was arrested as a suspect in the criminal case. The Belarusian human rights community recognised her as a prisoner of conscience .
МГ belsat.eu
