Amnesty International worried about arrest of Belarusians in Ukraine

Amnesty International in Ukraine has declared a statement with regard to detention of Belarusian and Ukrainian citizens in Zhytomir upon the suspicion in drug distribution. The human rights activists appealed to the Ukrainian authorities to conduct operative and unbiased investigation of the police's actions. 
In particular, Amnesty International demands to investigate the facts of using physical force against Artsiom Dubski and Ihar Koktysh, by the policemen. The human rights activists also point on the fact that the policemen have entered the apartment without permission and because of telling lies. Apart from that,  Amnesty International appeals to the authorities to amend the Administrative Code to guarantee the presence of a lawyer from the very beginning to all the detained.

Let us remind you, Ihar Koktysh, Iryna Tsiutsiunik, Tatsiana and Vital Tsishchanka, Artsiom Dubski and Aliaksej Zaksheuski were detained in Zhytomir on November 3. They were released only on November 6 after their lawyer had met with the regional Public Prosecutor and demanded to provide him an opportunity to see the detained. 

"This case underlines the problem which Ukraine has had for a long time - people detained in accordance with the Administrative Code can be kept in a police department for 3 days without an opportunity to meet with a lawyer. They are deprived of the basic guarantees which would protect them from tortures and other forms of brutal behaviour", - state Amnesty International.