On June 13, in one of the St. Petersburg police departments released tear gas into the cell with activists detained after the 12 June protest, “ATS-info” reports.
This was stated by four people at once. According to the witnesses, the gas was released into the cell with a man who was behaving aggressively, but the gas later spread throughout the ventilation system into other cells.
Police officers had to call an ambulance, but they refused to let out even those who were feeling really bad.
“We all started to suffocate. At a certain point I realized that I simply could not breathe. The girls that were with me began knocking on door, asking for help. The policeman opened and closed the door again. He said: “Stay”. I thought that I was dying, because I was trying to breathe and I couldn’t. Eventually, they let us out in some small corner, where there was a window…” said one of the detainees.
The police confirmed this information, noting that the gas was applied only against the man arrested for disorderly conduct, who “acted inappropriately and tried to commit physical harm to himself”.
In total, during the anti-corruption rally on June 12 in St. Petersburg were detained 658 people.
