Released Belarusian Detainees Allege Vicious Police Abuse: 'They Treated Me Like An Animal'

The start of Belarus’ release of detained protesters has brought it with it a flood of accounts of brutal beatings, threats of rape and other abuses of prisoners by police. The government denies that protesters were mistreated, but has apologized for harm to “random people” caught up in the crackdowns. It maintains that the protests were intended to overthrow the government. Both the European Union and the United States are considering sanctions against Belarus for security forces’ treatment of protesters.