Death sentence, last supper of bomber and miraculous escape for a few hours before the execution. The month and half of captivity in competing factions, interrogations and the long-awaited release. This was the final part of memoirs told by Luhansk inhabitant Alex S., who had spent six months in the dungeons of «people’s republic».
Part 6. The release
Even in such a time, in such a prison the laws of usual prison worked there. Every cell had its own watching, usually this person was from the criminals. The tobacco, money and food were given to them from outside through the horals. Thus, telephones appeared in our cell at first in “Marshal” then a few people also got them. The opportunity to connect with relatives appeared. I called to them and reported that I’m alive.
The information about place where I was began to appeared in the city, because a lot of separatists and different people with minor offenses, drunks, who was released then came through our cellar. Also the information about open tortures and about all happened there couldn’t be hidden.
The information began to leak in the internet and RRT began to wait the check from OSCE. Personally me was a witness a lot of times how people were beaten till the death and then their corpses were carried out to hide the trails of the criminals. That’s why it was decided urgently to remove us to another location. “Marshal” was moved out from our cellar and he went on the brig, where they kept only two people. We were removed in the basement of one of the road transport enterprises on the outskirts of Luhansk. The people call it «Black Hundred».
The basement is under the beton floor, eight on three, ground floor, the plastic bottles everywhere, November, there was very cold. The steam escapes from the mouth while breathing. A lot of us have only light sweaters and slippers. When I released I knew that my relatives gave to me good warm things. Of course I didn’t see them. The cigarettes given parties were stolen, the soup was drunk on a half, the sausage was bitten off. We were at a new place for a day or two. Literally the order to throw the basement with grenades was given at the next night.
That day the guards displayed the extraordinary generosity and brought to us a pot of boiled potatoes. Apparently they remembered some films where bombers were given the good dinner before the death. I could not even imagine that time what this involved.
We ate this potato. The some time has passed, hatch opened and there was a barrel and harsh voice cried: “So, fast things out!”. Everyone frozen. “I said quickly one by one upstairs!”. We have climbed. They said to squat. Then there was a phrase: “Don’t be afraid, we do anything with you. We released you”. A lot of people had a very big tooth for “Batman”. There were the cases when fighters of “Batman” appeared in another districts and just fire was opened on them. Except this, it looks like our calls by mobile telephones to relatives and acquaintances worked and a people began to know about us. It was found that we were saved by hall assembly squad. There were “military police”, one of the Russian special units and a few more structures. It was on November 13. We were ranked, one by one were withdrawn, then questioned: who we are, place of residence and photographed with numbers. So, they collect the evidence base on “Batman”.
Then they took a few witnesses from the number of prisoners. They brought them to the room where guards were. They found grenades. The guards confessed that they had an order to throw all grenades into the cellar where we were sitting. They documented their testimonies. Then they sat us into the bus, not on the seats, on the floor, so we couldn’t be seen. They drove us to Jovtnevy Department of Internal Affairs with extinguished lights and with the car of maintenance. I hoped that we would be withdrawn and released and I would soon come back home.
We were withdrawn by war police at first, then civil police. Moreover, different people two times submitted as police and withdrawn us. Maybe they didn’t understand or it’s closer that they were FSS. Then we were brought on the armoured vehicle, the bus of “Private Bank” to the former tax office, on the Kotsyubinskogo street (opposite the puppet theater). They explained to us that the investigation must be done and we needed to write the applications that we were kidnapped, illegally held and tortured. We must be also witnessed by the doctors etc.
“Now you’re victims and witnesses, except all of this we must guard you, because “Batman” though a criminal, but he the commander of the military unit, where is the thousand to thousand and a half of men” — they said to us. Ostensibly, when were moved a few grenades were thrown in the building of Department of Internal Affairs.
They shut us in a big cabinet where were toilet and washbasin. They even brought TV for us. The apologized that conditions were not well. Again mattresses, again on the floor. They shut the door and put the horal. They brought the food for us twice a day. It was not well, but it was not important for us at that moments. We were even allowed to connect with relatives. I spent moreover month and half on this place.
The questionings passed. They wrote from our words, signed the statements that “Batman” carried us in and had tortured, they asked in details how we were beaten, they made photos, shot the video etc… They said that we need to wait for seven days for everything to lay down. Then this seven days turned into ten, then two weeks more. When they told us once again that we need to wait a little bit more, it made us to smile in a sarcastic way.
Investigation was only at the beginning. Then commander came and said that all necessary things were done and all necessary information had been given to the head of “republic”.
“But, do you understand that “republic” needs “Batman”? Yes, he is a criminal, yes he is bitch and bastard, it’s proved and first persons has all this information. But “republic” needs him. He’s a commander and he has a military unit” — they told to us. They told to us that our long holding was in our interests, that “Batman” was still hunting on us.
“If you want to live you must sit here and say a huge thanks to us” — they said.
When their “elections” had passed and Plotnitsky was chosen and “Batman” wasn’t even allowed to run, made the shooting, when he had tried to register as the candidate. Though he created a party and made a photos with child, then “Batman” understood that his star was beginning to go under, even more there was so a huge dirt.
When I tried to specify what forces contributed to our releasing, the military police, which interviewed us, said we must be thankful to a “person, who was with us in the basement”. It turned that wife of one of the prisoners found the connects with commission from OSCE and journalists. At the beginning everyone denied that people were forcely held in the cellar, but she said that she would prove it. She said: “Only I know in what places scrapbooks is hidden, let me go down there with commission and journalists and I pull them out, show and I will tell where prisoners were transferred”.
It seems to me that Plotnitsky understood, that he wouldn’t hide this situation and he decided to use it against “Batman”. There was a command to organize this assembly squad and fight off us from him.
Although I haven’t understood a lot of things yet. For example, they pulled us out of the basement and we saw arrested and bounded horals, but the deputy of “Batman” with nickname “Kamaz” was among Russian S.W.A.T. and military police with weapon.
We were free at the end of December. We even weren’t sure if it could happen. All of us saw and heard a lot. Except this, not so long before the releasing I was called on the “conversation” by so-called “MSS” (Ministry of State Safety — ed.). They asked what I was going to do when I would be free.
The commander came in, he listed a few surnames, we dressed and went out. The biggest part went out, the less stayed. He told us in parting: “Well, don’t look back and don’t strongly wander in the city”. Part of people was loaded in the car, other were given the resolution to leave the protected area on foot.
The gates opened and I went out. I tried to go not quickly, I was afraid that they like beasts would run after me…
According to all questions connected with releasing of captivities and assisting former to ex-hostages, you can contact the hotline of the Foundation «East-SOS» by phone: 099-736-42-41; 098-009-44-20; 063-917-09-71
Written by Dennis Matsola for Informator.lg.ua