AJ
Kharkiv police received a report on February 24 about the possible beating of a 54-year-old man.
According to the complainant, his father had been stopped on one of the city streets by military personnel, after which he had been taken to the territorial and social support centre, where he was likely beaten.
Kharkiv police are investigating the crime under the article of inflicting bodily harm, according to a report on February 25, while 54-year-old Vadym Rudyuk, a displaced person from Konsiantynivka, Donetsk, told his version of events to Suspilne.
According to Rudyuk, he left the house and walked less than 50 metres before a bus drove over and two people ran out telling him to stop, and when he asked where the police were, was told that they were the military and was ordered to show his documents.
Rudyuk didn’t have them with him at the time, as one of the personnel grabbed Rudyuk by the neck, twisted his jaw and the first vertebra in his neck before striking him two or three times, at which point Rudyuk cried out for them to stop and explained that they could sort things out, but he didn’t have his documents with him.
According to Rudyuk, he was removed from the disability register, but he had coxarthrosis of the hip joint.
Rudyuk said that when they arrived at the TCC Centre, the captain said that he was collecting the guys ‘in parts,’ and when asked whether a captain could beat him, a second car stopped, men jumped out, and beat Rudyuk four by four in the back of the yard, then pulled out tape, tied up his hands and feet, and dragged him “like a pig” to the first floor.
After throwing Rudyuk on the floor in a corridor near the control room, Rudyuk lay there for 20-30 minutes, with the staff periodically beating him, claimed Rudyuk, saying that eventually he passed out, and when he came around no one was watching him.
Trying to get himself together, Rudyuk said it took another half an hour before a man in civilian clothes came along, asked his name, and told Rudyuk to get ready because they were going to take him out, but Rudyuk claimed he lay there for around another 30 minutes while the staff played backgammon.
Rudyuk sat and asked them to call an ambulance for around 20 minutes, sitting in a chair and passing out, until someone hit him on the cheek, noting that there were five of them in the room, and not one called an ambulance, giving Rudyuk the feeling that “they were going to throw me in the trash, that they were going to kill me.”
Doctors at the hospital said that there were massive bruises, severe concussion, and dislocation of the cervical vertebra, they also sewed up Rudyuk’s lip, and noted massive hematomas, but when Rudyuk asked for a copy of the medical report, he was told that it would be given on discharge.
“We are displaced people form Kostiantynivka, Donetsk Region,” Rudyuk said: “I worked for 30 years as a firefighter in the State Emergency Service. In 2016-2017, we went to Avdiivka, Svitlodanks. I received the status of a participant in hostilities.”
Rudyuk continued: “We were on duty at the Avdiivka coke plant there, went on combat missions after shelling, when there was a shortage of people, we were sent on business trips from Kostiantynivka – I am now retired.”
Spokeswoman for the Kharkiv Regional TCC Olena Rodina said that the leadership of the Kharkiv Regional TCC and the Joint Venture have begun an investigation into all the circumstances.
According to the Kharkiv TCC and SP, not only the man who was taken to the TCC, but also a serviceman received bodily injuries during the conflict.
“A civilian began to behave inappropriately, showed aggression and attempted to attack the servicemen of the alert group – the servicemen initially tried to avoid the conflict, but due to the violation of current legislation, the citizen was taken to the TCC and SP,” the statement said, while the TCC added that an official investigation was appointed into the incident.
