Man released from detention centre in Minsk says 'they broke our fingers to unlock our phones'

Sergey Gonsalis, a man newly released from the infamous Okrestina detention centre in Minsk, talks about how torture was inflicted on jailed protesters, and they were denied medical attention.

Sergey Gonsalis, a man newly released from the infamous Okrestina detention centre in Minsk, talks about how torture was inflicted on jailed protesters, and they were denied medical attention.

The footage was recorded outside Okrestina on Thursday (August 13).

Gonsalis says: "There was no one around in the city, three of us were just walking.

We were detained there.

And my police report says I was walking through the woods with a crowd of people, and I was shouting slogans." A man in the crowd asks: "Today Karayev [Belarus' internal affairs minister] made an apology for incidental victims and detentions, do you accept the apology?" Gonsalis replies: "Look, incidental victims and accepting the apology - it’s not enough, because they smash and throw away our phones, that cost about $1,500, and bicycles.

They smashed them on our heads.

They released gas in the punishment rooms to suffocate us; they broke our fingers to unlock our phones.

It’s impossible to accept.

"One person, who should be coming out now, but he’s still in there with doctors.

They’re making him get in the car because of all his body is bruised.

They don’t want anyone to see him.

Today, in the morning, they took away most bruised people, who were tortured in the hands of the KGB [State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus].

Ambulances drove back and forth all day long.

They’ve chosen the afternoon time specifically so that less people can see." Another man in the crowd asks: "Why were they interrogated by the KGB?" Gonsalis replies: "Somehow, they think that someone paid us to come out.

And if they found money or other stuff, they brought it in for interrogation.

And at night was the most terrifying because there were 124 people with me in 30m2 accommodation.

We’ve been sleeping like this for two days, on cement.

It was impossible to stand.

We stood there for 24 hours, if someone got tired - we lay down.

"We called for medics, but no one came to see us.

We asked for water at 9 am, and they brought it to us at midnight.

Twelve litres for 124 people.

No one was allowed to go to the toilet.

'Shut your mouths, you bastards.

Not a single hungry person sh*t their pants,' they said." A third man in the crowd asks: "What did they say during detention?" Gonsalis replies: "'Unlock your phones.

You corrupted b*tches want a revolution - then come on.'

They put people in vans and beat them up.

Then they place these people in detention facilities, and if anyone says anything else, they put gas in the room.

There, we were sneezing and choking, and nobody cared." The man who asked the first question, asks again: "Now it's rumoured that the toughest detentions are conducted by the Russians or a private security organisation.

Maybe they have any distinctive markings on a uniform or their speech?" Gonsalis replies: "We don’t have any information because they all wear masks.

When you're with them, they hold your head on the ground, and if you raise your head, you get 20 more hits from each one of them.

You line up outside, you come out of the District Department of Internal Affairs and stand all night in the mud, which is still not dry.

"For an hour, you stand under the burning sun, and they beat you with a baton.

If you just turn around, you get beaten up until you fall.

Then, when your head is facing down on the ground, they beat you with batons while you run." Another man asks the last question: "You said a girl was beaten up, right?" "Yes, for about two-three hours, because she said, 'I can't prove my point.

I was just walking down the street and wasn't involved in the protest,'" Gonsalis said.