Illegal and brutal actions by militia are going on
12.12.2001
A number of complaints from citizens came to the public reception office of the Ukrainian branch of the International union of human rights. The complainers are citizens, who experienced physical or moral damage from law-enforcing organs.
On 29 August 2000 A. V. Chetverikov (born in 1981) turned to the reception office. He complained at the illegal actions of militia. According to his complaint, on 28 August 2000, soon after his return from the USA, where he had studied in a university, when leaving his home he met two plain-clothed men. They introduced themselves as militia officers, but did not show their IDs. Without any explanations the militiamen started to twist his arms and to beat his face. The victim was handcuffed and dragged to his flat. Although they had no search warrant, the militiamen began to search the flat. After the long-lasting search Chetverikov was taken to the district precinct, from which he was soon released. As a result, the following things disappeared from his flat: a guitar (a present from his American friends), $100 and Hr 150 and the documents for the right to own the flat. Later everything was returned except the money.
Another complaint came to the reception office щn 12 January 2001. It was from Mrs. Pobizhetska, mother of a victim (from Vinnitsa). The complainer described illegal and brutal actions of militiamen directed to her son Aleksandr Pobizhetskiy. She told that on 1 August 2000 at 10:30 p.m. armed people with tommy-guns and in armored jackets broke into the flat, where her son with his family resided. Without any explanations and without showing their documents, they threw Aleksandr down on the floor and began to kick and beat him with clubs and guns at the side of his little son. When the child started to cry too loudly, one of the men pointed his gun at the boy and shouted at him. Aleksandr was taken outdoors, and the flat was searched. During the search Aleksandr’s wife and her sister were threatened and called names. Then the militia officers said that they were going to detain Aleksandr, take him to the district precinct and release next day. As a result of this brutal action the little child and the wife of Aleksandr Pobizhetskiy got moral damage. Later Aleksandr was accused of a crime. Certainly, considering such methods of detainment of suspects, one begins to brood, why during the ODA militiamen completely ignore and brutally violate legal rights of people, sometimes obviously innocent?
On 10 February 2001 a complaint from Valeriy Feygenzon, a former citizen of Ukraine and a present citizen of Israel, was received by the reception office. In his letter Feygenzon asserts: ‘Inlaw-enforcing organs faked criminal cases are fabricated, torture and beatings are applied to extract confessions from the suspects. They put gas masks on the heads of the tortured, beat them with plastic bottles filled with water, beat on the heels, put armchairs on the ribcage and use other methods borrowed from the Stalin NKVD and the Hitler Gestapo. Certainly, people cannot stand such torture and are ready to sign any testimonies and confessions’. The complainer asserts that he has many convincing proofs, which testify about brutal and illegal actions of law-enforcers. In particular he has a videocassette, where it is recorded how militiamen from Kremenchug of the Poltava oblast beat and torture the interrogated people. The names of the torturers are given. The complainer demands from the top state officers of Ukraine to stop the wave of violence on the side of law-enforcing organs directed at Ukrainians and especially Jews. He also demands to start criminal cases against some militiamen of Kremenchug. Otherwise he promises to pass the film to international mass media and, as an Israel citizen, to the Knesset of Israel.
On 29 August 2000 A. V. Chetverikov (born in 1981) turned to the reception office. He complained at the illegal actions of militia. According to his complaint, on 28 August 2000, soon after his return from the USA, where he had studied in a university, when leaving his home he met two plain-clothed men. They introduced themselves as militia officers, but did not show their IDs. Without any explanations the militiamen started to twist his arms and to beat his face. The victim was handcuffed and dragged to his flat. Although they had no search warrant, the militiamen began to search the flat. After the long-lasting search Chetverikov was taken to the district precinct, from which he was soon released. As a result, the following things disappeared from his flat: a guitar (a present from his American friends), $100 and Hr 150 and the documents for the right to own the flat. Later everything was returned except the money.
Another complaint came to the reception office щn 12 January 2001. It was from Mrs. Pobizhetska, mother of a victim (from Vinnitsa). The complainer described illegal and brutal actions of militiamen directed to her son Aleksandr Pobizhetskiy. She told that on 1 August 2000 at 10:30 p.m. armed people with tommy-guns and in armored jackets broke into the flat, where her son with his family resided. Without any explanations and without showing their documents, they threw Aleksandr down on the floor and began to kick and beat him with clubs and guns at the side of his little son. When the child started to cry too loudly, one of the men pointed his gun at the boy and shouted at him. Aleksandr was taken outdoors, and the flat was searched. During the search Aleksandr’s wife and her sister were threatened and called names. Then the militia officers said that they were going to detain Aleksandr, take him to the district precinct and release next day. As a result of this brutal action the little child and the wife of Aleksandr Pobizhetskiy got moral damage. Later Aleksandr was accused of a crime. Certainly, considering such methods of detainment of suspects, one begins to brood, why during the ODA militiamen completely ignore and brutally violate legal rights of people, sometimes obviously innocent?
On 10 February 2001 a complaint from Valeriy Feygenzon, a former citizen of Ukraine and a present citizen of Israel, was received by the reception office. In his letter Feygenzon asserts: ‘Inlaw-enforcing organs faked criminal cases are fabricated, torture and beatings are applied to extract confessions from the suspects. They put gas masks on the heads of the tortured, beat them with plastic bottles filled with water, beat on the heels, put armchairs on the ribcage and use other methods borrowed from the Stalin NKVD and the Hitler Gestapo. Certainly, people cannot stand such torture and are ready to sign any testimonies and confessions’. The complainer asserts that he has many convincing proofs, which testify about brutal and illegal actions of law-enforcers. In particular he has a videocassette, where it is recorded how militiamen from Kremenchug of the Poltava oblast beat and torture the interrogated people. The names of the torturers are given. The complainer demands from the top state officers of Ukraine to stop the wave of violence on the side of law-enforcing organs directed at Ukrainians and especially Jews. He also demands to start criminal cases against some militiamen of Kremenchug. Otherwise he promises to pass the film to international mass media and, as an Israel citizen, to the Knesset of Israel.