For Belarusian police officer Yegor Yemelyanov, the brutality was too much to bear. Alarmed at the violent reaction to his country’s greatest popular uprising in modern times, he turned his back on his career, is determined and now hopes for a better future.
“Seventeen years of service are over. My conscience is clear. Police are with the people, ”he wrote last week in an Instagram post, along with a photo of his police ID, badge and commendation letter.
He left power two days after the August 9 election, which sparked a popular uprising against Alexander Lukashenko’s regime. His post came at the height of a violent attack on Protestants, who loudly demanded the end of the strongman’s 26-year rule.
Where there used to be fear and obedience, workers at a state-run tractor factory this week chased a visibly angry Lukashenko and laughed at his defiant claims to power.
In the late hours of August 10, Yemelyanov, 36, said he had returned from a night shift, talked to his wife and decided to stop as images of Protestants were beaten and detained by police in the streets of the capital, Minsk, flooded channels on social media.
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“I was afraid that most of it would be sent into the thick of it and I would have to fight against my own people,” he told NBC News from the city of Novopolotsk, 150 kilometers north of Minsk, where he lives with his family.
‘I was expecting some reaction [to protests] of the security forces, ”he added. “I expected them to be difficult, but not to that extent.”
On election night and the night after, the images and videos that surfaced showed insurgent police beating protesters with batons, shooting rubber-coated bullets and using stung grenades after thousands took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the results of the elections to show opposition said said rigged.
Thousands were captured. Two Protestants were killed and dozens were injured.
Reports of Protestants being released from detention centers have detailed accounts of severe abuse, mistreatment and humiliation.
“The brutality I saw did not allow me to wear my uniform anymore,” said Yemelyanov, a soft-spoken man, reflecting on the violence.
Yemelyanov, who served with the security department of the Interior Ministry in Novopolotsk, said he had asked to be fired on the morning of August 11, but was refused and was told to remain on duty.
That he did not show up for work and was officially fired, as documents he shared show.
Before returning his badge, he posted the photo announcing he was on Instagram. That message has since been “liked” nearly 400,000 times and received 27,000 comments, mostly from strangers who expressed respect for his decision and said thank you.
But after signing dismissal papers, Yemelyanov said he was detained for two days without explanation, eventually accused of conducting “an unrestricted event” on the Internet and using a photo of his badge to express his personal feelings, court documents show. he delivered. He said he did not understand the latter.
The court closed his case after he found his conduct not criminal, according to the document he provided.
He said he has since received no threats or confirmation from Belarus authorities about his decision.
“In the meantime, my photo has gone viral around the world,” he said.
The press office of the regional police force confirmed on Wednesday that Jemelyanov was a personnel policeman who intended to grant dismissal and was finally fired last week.
When Lukashenko clings to power in the midst of pressure at home and abroad, there are signs that the security forces on whom he is stepping into his quarter-century rule are now turning on him.
A ministry spokesman acknowledged in a public statement Tuesday that some police officers had been detained amid protests.
“We will not assess the small proportion of police officers who have left the service today out of personal convictions,” the statement said.
It also pleaded with others not to quit, saying the public would be left unprotected if “the entire police force takes its badges today.”
On Tuesday, Lukashenko issued an order rewarding around 300 Interior Ministry staff for “impeccable service.”
It was not immediately clear if the order, dated August 13, included all law enforcement officials playing some role in the crackdown on Protestants.
As for Jemelyanov, he plans to stay in Belarus and look for another job, possibly in the fitness sector.
“At this point, I am almost certain that everything will end well,” he said, reflecting on the political situation in the country.
“I support holding a new election,” he added. “I am not for or against candidates. But the elections were apparently not fair and falsified, so we certainly need a new election. ”
