“Shut up or I will mark you with paint!”
Detained doctor told the story of how she was treated by the OMON police in a police truck
On the 7th of November, 60 medical workers were detained at a protest near the 1st City Clinical Hospital of Minsk. Some of them were released a couple of hours later, the rest were transferred to a detention center to await for trial. Oksana Moroz was one of the detained doctors who was spared, in a Facebook post she speaks on how she was treated by the OMON.
“I am still at large, except yesterday I spent 8 hours in the Leninsky District Police Department. They detained the doctors from the solidarity action that hadn’t even started at that point. The police really outnumbered the doctors, they just packed everyone who was near the main building of the hospital. We didn’t resist, thus, weren’t roughed up or dragged by the legs. A young OMON officer clearly wanted to release me. He took me from bus to bus, all of which were full, and told me: “If this last one is occupied, you quietly leave.” But the officers in it were such f*cking “gentlemen”, they said they’ll scoot over. They packed 4 more doctors like that. A therapist started to tell them that our rights are being violated during this detention, which infuriated the OMON driver. He started yelling at us, doctors, educated adults, calling us mere sheeps who are being controlled and paid by someone from the Internet. We asked him whether he was afraid to fall ill, so we could treat him, he considered it a threat. He exploded, screaming: “I go to the MVD clinic (a police clinic), and if I come to you, you’ll well damn treat me. You fuckers boycott state companies, you don’t RESPECT the OMON!” That’s when I couldn’t stand it: “Is there any reason to respect you?!” “Shut up or I will mark you with paint!”, he shouted.
Meanwhile we were transported to the police trucks where we were placed into the cells inside. Three of us took up all the space in our unit, yet they tried to cram one other girl in. “You are out of luck, we are all fat and won’t fit in”, I said. But they still shoved her in and the whole time she had to sit on my lap. We drove for a long time. A woman from a cell next to ours tried singing, but she was ordered to shut up in a violent manner.
When we arrived, we were told to get out quickly and were brought to a garage. The command was to face the wall and raise our hands up. I asked: “Are we dangerous criminals to stand like that?! I prefer to face the danger.” And I turned around to face the man who gave the order. “So?” he asked. I said: “You look quite like an intelligent person. We are all highly educated doctors here, not bandits or extremists, so let’s respect one another.” He left. Everyone turned around and no one tried to make us face the wall again.
After that we were patted down, they took away and made an inventory of our things, phones, money and even removed our SHOELACES. Then reports were drawn up and our pictures taken. I had an impression that the officers at the police department were sort of ashamed to do it, they realized that at that point their actions were mayhem. They talked politely, even with compassion: gave us water, some food and sedatives from the volunteers. “Junkies, dig in!” I joked. Everyone was supportive, told jokes and anecdotes. Later, all the men and 3 women were transferred to Okrestina (a detention center), it was unclear what the officers were guided by when choosing victims.
We were then called to sign delusional reports. Each one of them read that we took part in an unauthorized gathering, used prohibited paraphernalia, shouted anti-government slogans, disturbed the passers-by and other nonsense. When I objected, “a comrade” recommended that I write “strongly disagree”.
Then we were released one by one without any warning. I am proud to have spent a holiday in the company of such amazing colleagues. Such a shame I did not have my phone to take pictures or a pen, at least, to exchange numbers.
Today I am recovering, but I am not broken. I am still against lies and violence.
Long live Belarus!”
