"They can admit guilt only under pressure, because they are innocent!"

N.: They detained us in the early morning. My groupmate from the University called me on the phone at approximately 6.20 a.m. saying she would meet be at the bus stop in half an hour. I agreed, went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Suddenly someone rang the doorbell. The guys whom we live with came over to the doors. Kolya asked who it was, but got no reply. Sasha opened the doors and the police burst into our apartment.

N.: All of them wore private clothes and hid their faces behind the masks. All of them had weapons. They knocked out the doors with their shields and started putting everyone on the floor. After that they led us to different rooms and asked our names and surnames. They did not show their documents, of course. We still don't know who detained us!

They filmed us - operational video filming. And we had just got up from beds, half-dressed. We asked them to let us put something on, as it was cold, but they answered - "Later!" Then they lined the three of us along the wall where we stood for nearly an hour, shaking. Then someone of the "law protectors" gave me somebody else's jacket.

European Radio for Belarus: Did they allow you to use the phone?

N.: No, they kept silence as a response to such requests. Then they let us dress and go to the toilet. Then they brought witnesses, and started searching, as a result of which they confiscated literature, CDs, 5 computers and 2 laptops, USB-drives and mobile phones.

European Radio for Belarus: How did they choose which CDs to take, there were probably plenty of them in the apartment?

N.: Yes, a lot. CD's were packed in boxes. They started unpacking these boxes and I tried to have a look what they were taking from us. However, they ordered me to turn my face to the wall and I failed to see anything. I know they also took money, which we kept to pay the rent.

European Radio for Belarus: You mean, it was not a big sum?

N.: I heard them speak about 40-60 thousand roubles. I asked them to allow me to smoke, but they refused, saying "You'll have time for both smoking and thinking afterwards”. They led me out of the apartment together with another girl, Lera, at about midday, and took us to the police department. Then they led us to different cabinets and since then I've barely seen anyone of us. Only Kolya was led in for 5 minutes. They asked us many questions, but they were polite. No violence. But so many questions.

European Radio for Belarus: What did they ask you?

N.: First they informed we had been detained in connection with the action allegedly conducted by anarchists near the Russian Embassy. They also asked if I knew anything about the action which took place back on the 1st of May [attack on the Trade Union House in Minsk ― comment of the ERB].

European Radio for Belarus: How do you think, why it was you whom they asked all these questions?

N.: I don't know. As I found out later, they "mopped up" 5 more apartments. A about 7 p.m. they set me free. I wrote a note that I had taken the keys from the apartment and left.

European Radio for Belarus: Why didn't they detain you together with others?

N.: When I asked why they did not release the others, they said: “Go, you just happened to be in the wrong place”.

Another social activist, A., joins the conversation.

European Radio for Belarus: These detained youngsters, who are they? Why the police thought they were connected with the Russian Embassy incident?

А.: They were detained because they're socially active people.

N.: These people participated in the FNB actions [Food not bombs. Youth feeds the homeless in the center of Minsk. ― ERB comment], in “Critical Mass”. They defended the animals' rights - went to the animal shelters, tried to help with money and voluntary work.

А.: These people just became familiar to the police.

European Radio for Belarus: Can you at the moment communicate with the detained in some way?

N.: No communication. They are now in the detention center at Akrestsina street. The policemen said I would be imprisoned for up to 10 years if I keep silince. But I had nothing to tell! Then they said "Well, you'll change your mind after the pre-trial detention center, probably”.

European Radio for Belarus: Is there a possibility that someone of the detained admits guilt? Hooliganism is not such a terrible article...

А.: They can admit guilt only under pressure, as they are innocent. I am convinced that they detained the wrong people. Some of them have alibies. Some of them were in another city. There is only one person from Minsk among them, all the rest are from Babrujsk, Navapolatsk... I know exactly that one of the guys was not in Minsk, he was at home. However, it is not essential until they are presented an accusation.

European Radio for Belarus: a statement that anarchists claim responsibility for the action on August 30 appeared at the web-site "Indimedia".

А.: I see no sense in throwing a fiery bottle on somebody's car. Everyone knows they would not stop cutting the Himki forest down because of that. We do feel solidarity with defenders of the Himki forest, but no Belarusian anarchist would claim responsibility for such an action in Minsk.

European Radio for Belarus: However, the information and video of the action appeared in the Internet, the same as after the attack on the Trade Union House.

А.: Here we have a contradiction. The information about the Trade Union House attack was published in the Internet right after the incident, on May 1. Here - the attack takes place on August 30 and then - two days of silence. Only afterwards there appears a badly filmed video... Such behaviour is not usual for anarchists. I think that someone needed to blame anybody for this attack, thus they recalled anarchists.

European Radio for Belarus: What is the organization "Friends of Freedom", which claimed responsibility for the action?

А.: We heard about it for the first time from the statement, published at "Indimedia".

European Radio for Belarus: However, someone did publish a statement and a video there.

А.: Anyone can publish anything at "Indimedia", that's the principle of work of this resourse.

European Radio for Belarus: How do you think the situation will develop?

А.: The 3 days of detention of the social activists end on September 6 at 4.30 p.m. They can be released without presenting accusations. But look - we have elections very soon, so now the authorities are trying to "calm down" any organized groups of people, no matter whether they are politically coordinated or not. Thus I can predict it was not the last detention. Today it's anarchists, tomorrow - someone else.

N.: I've lived with these guys for nearly two months. They never showed any signs of aggression. They never even mentioned any attacks. So, personally, I am convinced they are not guilty and they should be released.