This collection is being organized by the International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus for the victim Mikalai Papelski. Nikolai was detained twice and each time he was beaten, bullied, tortured and ill-treated. Below is a detailed description of the detentions.
First detention:
On August 11, 2020, Nikolai was stopped by traffic police officers on Independence Avenue 3 for signaling and a BSB flag in his car. OMON officers arrived, took him out of the car, put him in zip ties and put him on the asphalt. They broke windows, punctured tires, cut wires in the car. Shot him twice in the back with a traumatic weapon. Thrown into the van on the floor, sat on top of the victim. Beaten with batons, fists, feet. They hit him in the head and all over his body. They brought him to the Moscow police department. OMON officers lined up in the corridor and beat Nikolai with batons. He spent the whole night in the assembly hall, lying on the floor in ties. The floor was covered in blood. In the morning, the autozaks arrived and took him to Okrestina, the IVS. In the courtyard the man was put on his knees, head in the asphalt, he stood in this position for half a day. Then they ordered him to run away, the TDF and OMON officers lined up in the corridor and beat him with batons. They placed him in an overcrowded exercise yard, where 78-87 people were kept. One day without food and water (4 loaves of bread and 1.5 liters of water for 87 people). For two days Nikolai almost did not sleep — there was no place to sit down. Court: 10 days of administrative arrest, Article 19.1 (Article 19.1 of the Administrative Code of the Republic of Belarus — petty hooliganism). On August 13, 2020 was loaded into a car, put on his knees with his head down. They were deported to the LTP in Slutsk. Released on the 14th.
Consequences of the beating:
Nikolai could not work for two months, it was painful to move. His front teeth were knocked out. His back, buttocks and legs were completely blue. His head was smashed at the back of the head. Bruised eye, swollen nose (took two weeks to heal).
Second detention:
On March 3, 2022, Nikolai was detained for the second time in a car in a courtyard near his home by 8 armed officers in full uniform (with shields, body armor, masks, pistols and shotgun). They twisted him, handcuffed him, threw him into a minibus. An employee of the Main Department of State Security and Police threatened to shoot them in the knees. The door of the apartment was broken down and searched. Then the man was taken to the department of the Main Department of Internal Affairs. He was beaten on the sides, under the breath, on the calves. They made him record a “penitential video”. Delivered to Okrestina, CIP, held in poor conditions. Court: 10 days of administrative arrest (for disobedience to officers). After release he was taken to Zavodskiy police department, where they fabricated a new report for hooliganism (allegedly waving his hands, shouting loudly and behaving aggressively). Court: 7 days of administrative arrest. Poor conditions of detention in Okrestina, CIP.
As of today, Nikolai's health condition is a cause for concern. Doctors found a hematoma in his brain. The man is haunted by headaches. Once he lost consciousness while driving and got into an accident. As a result, he had to quit his job, as Nikolai can no longer work as a driver. In addition, Nikolai's front teeth were knocked out, and now he is restoring them.
The International Committee for the Investigation of Torture in Belarus urges you to help Nikolai recover from his ordeal and abuse. Your donations will help Nikolai
- Receive the necessary treatment to repair the effects of the hematoma in his brain
- Complete the restoration of his knocked-out teeth
- Support the man through this difficult period until he can return to a normal life
How much is needed?
€4100
€3500 — restoration of the lower jaw
€200 — MRI SCAN
€100 — encephalogram
€300 — medical consultations and examinations