Two Belarusians were beaten in Białystok. They "exchanged pleasantries" with a stranger, who then complained to two guys

The image is illustrative. Photo: Lacie Slezak / Unsplash.

Strangers approached, knocked them to the ground, and started beating them

The incident occurred on July 20, 2025, on Mickiewicza Street in Białystok. According to the victims, in the evening they were seeing off a friend and were about to call a taxi. A girl with a dog passed by, talking on the phone.

The Belarusians claim that the stranger said something offensive to them, and they responded.

The girl left, but a few minutes later, strangers approached the young men (one of whom was a minor at the time), knocked them to the ground, and started beating them. The victims believe that the girl had told someone on the phone that she had been insulted.

When the attackers heard the boys speaking with an accent, they started shouting: "S***dalaj na Ukrainę" ("Get lost to Ukraine"). They tried to snatch one of the boys' phones, but it broke during the attack.

Hearing the sound of a police car siren passing nearby at that moment, the attackers fled. The beaten Belarusians did not call the police — they called a taxi and went home.

Recorded CCTV footage and sought medical attention

The next morning, Veranika saw the condition her son was in when he returned home and decided to contact the police. She got in touch with Mark's mother. The women went to the scene of the attack. A shop with surveillance cameras is located nearby. The women asked the owner of the commercial establishment to let them view the recordings. They show unknown individuals attacking the boys.

At the same time, the young men went to the hospital. There, one of them was diagnosed with a fractured cheekbone, and the other with injuries of moderate severity.

Police handed the case over to the prosecutor's office

With the collected evidence, the women went to the police station.

On July 24, 2025, the prosecutor's office opened a criminal case. The official statement refers to "causing bodily harm on the grounds of national origin to two citizens of Belarus." The case was classified under two articles of the Polish criminal code: Art. 158, para. 1 — participation in a beating committed by a group of persons, and Art. 119, para. 1 — a crime committed out of motives of national hatred.

The victims' families hired a lawyer. However, as of February 9, when the editorial office was contacted, they had no information from law enforcement agencies regarding the progress of the case investigation.

Two participants have been charged

MOST sent an inquiry to the District Prosecutor's Office in Białystok. They asked to clarify the stage of the investigation, whether all participants of the attack and its causes have been identified, whether charges have been filed, and what investigative actions have already been taken.

The editorial office has the prosecutor's reply. It states that "currently, two participants of the incident have been charged" under articles regarding group assault and violence based on national hatred. It is reported that "procedural actions aimed at fully clarifying the circumstances of the incident are being conducted, including verification of suspects' explanations. The decision regarding the completion of the investigation and its deadline depend on the results of these actions." The prosecutor's office does not disclose other details of the case.

MOST also learned that the case has been taken under supervision by the Regional Prosecutor's Office in Białystok.

• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0