Okrestina Detention Centre, Akrestsina Detention Centre, officially, the Criminal Detention Centre of the Minsk Executive Committee’s Main Internal Affairs Directorate (, ), is a pre-trial detention centre in Minsk, Belarus. The prison is known as a detention centre for activists of the Belarusian opposition arrested during mass protests against the government of president Alexander Lukashenko. On 21 June 2021, the U.S. Treasury has added Okrestina Detention Centre to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.Belarus Designations; Issuance of Belarus General License 3 and related Frequently Asked Questions - U.S. Department of Treasury, 06/21/2021
Name The prison is most commonly referred by its informal name Okrestina () or Akrestsina (, official transliteration: Akrescina) derived from the name of the street where it is located (which is in turn named after Soviet WWII ground-attack pilot, hero of the Soviet Union ).
Torture
According to numerous reports, many protesters arrested during the 2020 Belarusian protests, are tortured in Okrestina by soldiers of the OMON.Thousands demonstrated outside the infamous Okrestina jail in Minsk demanding the release of all prisoners - intellinews.com, August 18, 2020Belarus election: 'Widespread torture' inflicted on jailed protesters - BBC, 14 August 2020The mutual aid corridor ‘Meduza’ visits the volunteer camp outside of the infamous Okrestina detention facility in Minsk - Meduza, August 19, 2020Journalist Tatsiana Belashova: Akrestsina is a manmade hell - Belarusian Association of Journalists, 16.08.2020
Many were beaten and in some cases seriously injured. At least three detainees suffered injuries indicative of sexual violence in Okrestina or on the way there. The victims were hospitalized with intramuscular bleeding of the rectum, anal fissure and bleeding, and damage to the mucous membrane of the rectum.Das verprügelte Minsk
On the night of August 13–14, 2020, relatives of people detained in Okrestina recorded the sounds of incessant beatings that could be clearly heard on the street. Several voices can also be heard on the recordings, screaming in pain and begging for mercy. One released inmate reported that those who begged officers not to be beaten were beaten even more severely.
On September 29, 2020, detainee Dsjanis Kusnjazou was hospitalized from Okrestia with fractures of the skull bones, third-degree open craniocerebral trauma, hematomas, rib fractures, and pulmonary contusion. He succumbed to his injuries. Security authorities claimed the injuries were due to Kusnjazou falling from his bunk bed.
On 11 October 2020, a video recording went public showing prisoners being chased through the ranks of police and security forces in Okrestina and being continuously beaten.Welcome parade at Akrescina prison in Minsk, 11 August 2020Das verprügelte Minsk
In October 2020, Okrestina's Detention Centre head Ivan Sakalouski (Sokolovskiy) was sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Switzerland. More Okrestina officials were banned from entering the European Union in June 2021COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/997 — EUR-Lex, 21.06.2021 and the United States in August 2021. The U.S. Treasury gave the following motivation for including Okrestina to its SDN list in June 2021:
Following the peaceful protests against the fraudulent August 9, 2020 presidential election, many protesters have been arrested and subsequently detained at the notorious Akrestsina Detention Center (Akrestsina) in Minsk. Protesters have described intense physical abuse, including torture and inhumane conditions during their detention at Akrestsina. It has been the site of beatings, arbitrary detentions, and other human rights abuses in the months since the fraudulent presidential election.
Akrestsina is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13405 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, human rights abuses related to political repression in Belarus.
In November 2021, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed in an interview to the British Broadcasting Corporation that people were beaten in Okrestina, saying: "OK, OK, I admit it, I admit it. People were beaten in the Okrestina detention centre. But there were police beaten up too and you didn't show this."
Famous inmates Mark Bernstein Zmitser DashkevichЗміцер Дашкевіч: У ізалятары сядзеў, як у прыбіральні… [Zmitser Dashkevich: In the detention centre I felt like I was in a toilet] - Viasna, 29 March 2019 Andrei KimЗ турмы – на допыт у пракуратуру [From prison to interrogation at the prosecutor's office] - Charter'97, 31 January 2008 Anatoly LebedkoЛябедзька выйшаў з ізалятара пасьля 15 сутак арышту [Liabiedzka set free from the detention centre after 15 days of arrest] - Radio Svaboda, 31 March 2014 Uladzimir NyaklyayewНякляеў пра Акрэсціна: Ляжыш і дзярэш на сабе жыўцом скуру [Niakliayeu about Akrestsina: You lay there and skin yourself alife] - Belsat, 11 May 2017 Nasta PalazhankaПалажанка выйшла з турмы на Акрэсціна [Palazhanka set free from prison on Akrestsina street] - Nasha Niva, 30 September 2011 Paval SieviaryniecДзясяткі чалавек чакалі Севярынца пад сценамі Акрэсціна, але яго так і не вызвалілі [Tens were waiting for Sieviaryniec at the walls of Akrestsina but he was not set free] - Belarusian Christian Democracy official website, 22 July 2020 Mikola StatkevichПалітык Мікалай Статкевіч прызнаны палітычным зняволеным [Politician Mikalai Statkevich recognized as political prisoner] - Viasna, 30 June 2020 Siarhei TsikhanouskiЦіханоўскага і яшчэ 7 затрыманых перавезьлі на Акрэсьціна, траіх выпусьцілі [Tsikhanouski and 7 more detained were transferred to Akrestsina, three were set free] - Radio Svaboda, 30 May 2020 Franak Viačorka"Голад, холад, пацукі" - Франак Вячорка пра ўмовы свайго ўтрымання ў следчым ізалятары на Акрэсціна ["Hunger, cold, rats - Franak Viačorka about the conditions of his detention in the centre on Akrestsina street] - Deutsche Welle, 17 February 2008
See also Amerikanka OMON (Belarus)
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