Homel Romani: Let Authorities And Police Apologize To Us Publicly

Homel Romani also got under attack after the death of the traffic police inspector in Mahiliou.

Homel Romani say that the police held raids against them after the death of the traffic policeman in Mahiliou.

"The Gypsies were detained wherever they were caught. They were taken to the police department for capturing fingerprints and mugging. They asked if anybody from Russia had come to visit us," – the Romani people who live in Zapadny district told Radio Svaboda.

According to the initial version, a Romani man was involved in the death of the policeman in Mahiliou on May 16. On May 20, investigators refuted this version and stated that the policeman had committed suicide.

"Although no one was jailed, the attitude of the police towards us was very rude! They behaved in a boorish way, very aggressively. In general, they look at us and treat us like dogs," outraged Aliaksandr Yaudakimau says. He is the Gypsy baron in Zapadny and Festyvalny districts.

"Yesterday my 18-year-old son went out for a smoke – and he was not there! – Yaudakimau's wife adds. – The policemen grabbed him and took him to the police station to take photos and fingerprints. They have already taken him there so many times! Four hours later he returned home.

"The policemen told me: "We will destroy you."

"The policemen said to me: We're just going to destroy you. – Aliaksandr Yaudakimau complains. – The protocols are drawn up for nothing. I was driving the car without passing the technical inspection – I did not have time to do it. But why should they threaten me straight away? They don't want to talk to gypsies, absolutely. Yesterday I was crossing the road with a bicycle at a pedestrian crossing, they drove up – show us the documents! What documents? They are looking at us as if we were animals!

Aliaksandr knows that about a hundred gypsies have been detained in Mahiliou. He believes that if the Romani people are not involved in the murder, the police and the authorities should publicly apologize to the ethnic minority.

"They have reported about the Romani murderers in all the news, and we were insulted so badly, they cast aspersions on us. They should set everything in its place again to calm the people down. If the police did it wrong, let them now declare that we are decent people," – Yaudakimau says.

"Have you killed the traffic policeman? We will get to you!"

The same evening, when it became known about the policeman’s death, Aliaksandr Yaudakimau and his friends heard threats in the street.

"There were some drunkards sitting in the gazebo, so big, and they told us: "Oh, have you killed the traffic policeman? We will get to you. We just went away. After all, if there was a fight, we would be the ones to blame.

He says he is now afraid to let his children go to school.

"If the authorities and the police don't apologize publicly, don't set everything in its place again – we will leave this country. We'll go and we'll say everywhere that we've just been abused here," – the baron says.

The police had a special attitude toward us before

Aliaksandr has remembered that a week ago he and his little child were taken to the police department on their way from hospital.

"I asked them to let me take the child home, his ears hurt, and they had put medicine in his ears in the hospital. They did not allow it. They shouted: "Will you talk any more?"

Sometimes the police conduct the "population census" in their district. Among other things, they ask the Romani people about their nicknames.

"I am offended. I am 52 years old. What nickname are they looking for? Am I a convict or a criminal? I have a name, a surname, I work at a construction site, my wife – in a shop. We are decent people," – the baron says.

After the death of the traffic policeman, many offensive messages appeared on social networks calling for the massacre against the Romani people.

"Why is that? Who has allowed such a war against us?"