Hanging in ovens. “The guy was broken in the barracks”

The death of conscript soldier Alexander Korzhich shocks everyone: how can a young, healthy guy die in the army in peacetime? And it’s amazing how the situation around his death developed, how quickly accents and comments changed.

Alexander Korzhich was found in a noose in the basement of a military unit. This became known on October 4, the first official comments appeared on the 5th.

But the case became resonant after the funeral of a soldier in Pinsk. Alexander’s mother and friends conducted their investigation, found out that the guy was found in a noose with a bag on his head, and remembered how he complained about hazing and that the unit demanded money. Relatives said that it is unknown where Alexander was from September 26 to October 3. They shared all this with local journalists from non-state media.

A pre-investigation investigation into the death of the serviceman is underway. During the inspection of the crime scene, the investigation did not find any signs of a criminal nature. The data obtained as a result of initial activities allow us to consider suicide as the main version,” said Tatyana Belonog, official representative of the Investigative Committee for the Minsk Region in a commentary.

The Investigative Committee suspected hazing in the death of the soldier. The department's comment has changed.

According to preliminary data, the cause of death was mechanical asphyxia from compression of the neck organs with a belt loop during hanging. The investigation decided to initiate a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 3 of Art. 443 (violation of the statutory rules of relations between persons covered by the status of a military man, in the absence of a relationship of subordination, resulting in grave consequences) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus,” said Tatyana Belonog, official representative of the Criminal Code for the Minsk region. - As part of the investigation, all possible versions of the causes and circumstances of the incident are checked, including the commission of illegal actions in relation to the deceased, hazing, which could lead to conflict situations. The investigation is taking all measures to establish the real state of affairs with military discipline on the territory of the military unit.

Now the position of the Ministry of Defense has already appeared.

If those responsible for the death of a serviceman are identified in accordance with the procedure established by law, they will certainly be held accountable in accordance with the law,” it was said regarding the death of Alexander Korzhich.

Every tenth conscript of the last two drafts was registered with the police, almost two-thirds of conscripts were detained for administrative offenses, the number of conscripts with experience of criminal behavior was more than 4%.

The General Prosecutor's Office spoke out on the case of Alexander Korzhich.

The causes and conditions that contributed to the death of the serviceman are being determined. The check is also of a preventive nature, but it concerns a specific case,” they told BelaPAN in a commentary.

It was on October 12 that the relatives of another soldier who died near Borisov - Artem Bastyuk was found in a noose in March 2017 - received documents from the Investigative Committee to terminate the preliminary investigation. The wording is as follows: “in the absence of a socially dangerous act provided for by criminal law.” The relatives sought this case for six months; after such a response, the Investigative Committee gathered with a complaint to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

It became known that the president is monitoring the criminal case regarding the death of Korzhich. This was reported by his press secretary Natalya Eismont.

Alexander Lukashenko is reported literally several times a day on the progress of operational activities. Believe me, the president’s position on this issue is so tough that none of the culprits will escape responsibility,” Lukashenko’s press secretary Natalya Eismont quotes. This information appeared in the afternoon.

Literally two hours later, the Investigative Committee spoke at a briefing. It became clear: what the soldier’s relatives were talking about was officially confirmed.

He was hanging in a loop made of a fabric trouser belt, attached at the joint end to metal fittings under the basement ceiling, with his feet tied with shoelaces and a T-shirt put on his head, said Sergei Kabakovich, an official representative of the Investigative Committee.

The Ministry of Defense revealed who is responsible for the death of the private.

By order of the Minister of Defense of Belarus, five officials of the 72nd Joint Training Center, including the commander of the military unit where the serviceman served, were suspended for failure to take comprehensive measures to maintain statutory order. Four servicemen have been dismissed from the Armed Forces, said Vladimir Makarov, head of the information department of the Ministry of Defense. - As for the final legal assessment of those who were fired, those who were suspended, and everyone else in general, this will be done only after the end of the investigation.

On the same day, the Ministry of Defense stopped collecting signatures for a petition on the website zvarot.by. Let us remember that at this site they demanded to understand the death of Alexander Korzhich and to dismiss the Minister of Defense. By the time the site stopped opening, there were more than 11 thousand signatures.

Around this incident (the death of Korzhich. - Ed.), based on speculation and rumors, a targeted campaign has been launched to discredit the Armed Forces, says a message on the website of the Ministry of Defense under the heading “Concerning the anti-army campaign.”

The case continues under the same article - article 443 part 3 “Hazing”. I hope that now they will investigate properly. There is hope,” said Artem Bastyuk’s mother.

It became known that 8 criminal cases had been initiated against 8 military personnel. Now the suspects include 7 junior commanders (sergeants), as well as a company sergeant major.

5 sergeants were detained on suspicion of using physical violence against subordinate cadets and systematically obtaining cigarettes and food from them, the Investigative Committee said in an official statement. - Their actions are qualified under the article “Excess of power or official authority involving violence.”

Criminal cases were initiated under the articles: “Violation of the statutory rules of relations between military personnel”, “Abuse of power, abuse of power or inaction of power” and “Fraud” of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

All were taken into custody, and materials are being prepared to bring charges against them.

According to investigators, among the issues being considered by the investigation is the fulfillment by training officials of duties to comply with the law and prevent crime. A criminal legal assessment will be given, including the inaction of higher commanders and other leaders in the training center and the military units that are part of it.

Investigators are conducting interrogations, confrontations, and are awaiting the results of a number of expert studies.

Investigators also announced that two officers from this unit were detained:

The company commander was obliged, among other things, to keep records of company personnel and maintain military discipline. And his deputy for ideological work was obliged to take effective measures to prevent crime, and was also responsible for the moral and psychological state of the personnel, the Investigative Committee said in a statement. - These facts became the basis for initiating criminal cases against officers under the article “Inaction of the authorities resulting in grave consequences”) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. A preventive measure in the form of detention was applied to the suspects.

As previously reported, a number of officials of the 72 training center were dismissed from the ranks of the Armed Forces for failure to take measures to prevent the death of a serviceman, including the head of the 3rd specialist training school, the chief of staff - the first deputy head of the school, the commander of a training company, the medical foreman and the training foreman companies.

Among those suspended from official duties are the chief of staff - first deputy head of the 72 training center and the head of the center's medical service, the department's official statement says.

In the middle of the day, Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov spoke about the death of a serviceman.

Commanders and superiors must be responsible for their subordinates, said Belarusian Defense Minister Andrei Ravkov. - There should be no deaths of military personnel, especially those serving in military service in peacetime.

The minister expressed condolences to Korzhich's relatives. He also promised to punish those responsible, belta.by reports.

The army is a school for young people, and in the military collective there should not be

Then, on September 26, someone withdrew money from a bank card for the last time Sasha Korzhich. In August and September, the soldier’s relatives and friends transferred at least 200 rubles to him. Svetlana Nikolaevna, Sasha’s mother, shows receipts from Priorbank. August 3 - 50 rubles, August 8 - another 50 rubles. Where and how did this money disappear?

If someone had told me before Sasha went into the army that he had to pay 15 rubles a day for his life [one of his colleagues told Korzhich’s friends about this unofficial “tax.” - Euroradio], I would have found this money. I would take a loan... - Svetlana Nikolaevna sighs. - He had $500 saved for a car. I say: “Sasha, here is this money in front of me, lying on the table, if necessary, I will bring it to you.” He replies: “No need, mom, I can handle it.”

But it became more and more difficult to cope with each day. According to the calculations of the soldier’s mother, he received about 500 rubles a month from her and from his friends, writes Euroradio.

Somewhere on July 10, Sasha said that the sergeant took his bank card. Like, a soldier is not entitled to a card, but if you need something, you can ask, and it will be bought. Sasha asked me to track where the money from his card was going,” says Ilya, Sasha Korzhich’s best friend, who worked with him in the same auto repair shop. - I then took screenshots from Internet banking. There you can see purchases at the Warrior cafe [on the territory of the 72nd training center. - Euroradio] and “Zvezda”, and two consecutive withdrawals of 10 rubles from an ATM. All this time the card was in the hands of the sergeant.

Now there is one ruble left on Sasha Korzhich’s bank card. Yes, it is impossible to withdraw such an amount from an ATM, the minimum is five rubles.

At the new city cemetery 11 km from Pinsk there are many fresh graves, Sasha’s grave is sector 30, row 15, place 20.

On the day of the funeral there was such a wind that the candles immediately went out,” recalls Ilya. - Many military personnel came from Borisov by bus. I don’t think these are Sasha’s colleagues. We asked them about him, and they answered with standard phrases: “He was a good guy...”. He was buried with honors, there was even a volley fired into the air. And then we found out that when soldiers go on such a mission, they are not fed at all. And Sasha’s cousin, Violetta, ran to buy them cookies.

The priest refused to perform Sasha's funeral service. In his death certificate, in the column “Cause of death” the code T71 is indicated: “Strangulation asphyxia”. This means strangulation due to compression. This conclusion does not make it clear whether the person hanged himself or was hanged. And the church considers suicides to be sinners unworthy of funeral services. And it requires proof that the person died a natural death or was killed. But Sasha’s relatives have no evidence. There are only versions of what happened in the 72nd “training” in Pechi.

Version 1. They faked suicide to hide hazing

In the unit where Sasha served, there are two sergeants: B. and S., let's call them that. They say that these two are feared by everyone who enters the joint training center for the training of warrant officers and junior commanders in Pechi. Soldiers spend only three months in “training”, after which they are assigned to their place of further service. S. is described as more sane, but B., who is also called “Beran,” is insane. This time is enough to humiliate the conscript, take away his money and things and subjugate his will. The soldiers who served in Pechi told Sasha Korzhich’s friends about this.

When Sasha’s relatives were finally shown his body (they arrived in Pechi on the night of October 4, and waited all day until the body was “ready”), they drew attention to the bruises, which were interpreted as the result of beatings, and to the mark from the rope on the guy's neck. The mark is thick, two fingers wide, and perfectly smooth - as if the rope did not slide along the neck of the suicide, but squeezed the neck of the person who was already dead in the noose.

We will not show you a photo of the dead Sasha Korzhich. The guy's relatives and friends are convinced that he was killed. However, the pathologist consulted by Euroradio claims that it is impossible to make an unambiguous conclusion about the lifetime or posthumous placement of a person in a noose based on external signs. To do this, you need to examine the nervous tissue of the deceased under a microscope, which is currently impossible: Sasha Korzhich was buried on October 5.

However, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on hazing. In addition to using Sasha Korzhich’s card, B. and S. may be guilty of appropriating the smartphone of a deceased soldier. One of the training center officers told Sasha’s mother that he sold his HTC One for... 30 rubles because he “direly needed money.” Let us remember that according to my mother’s calculations, at that moment they sent Sasha up to 500 rubles a month. The soldier's friends are told that the phone has not yet been found, although it is easy to figure out by IMEI.

What did the conscript spend hundreds of rubles on without leaving the military camp? Was he really killed to hide the answer to this question? The investigation remains to be sorted out.

Version 2. Suicide of a soldier driven to despair

Sasha Korzhich joined the army because he didn’t want to “mow.”

He had many plans for his life. Return after the army and buy yourself a car. Sasha did renovations at home. A positive young man, interested in cars. He loved to tinker with engines and tinker with electronics. A month after he came to our service station, he was already working independently, and not as an apprentice. This was his hobby, work and life, says Sergey Kozubovsky, director of Pinsk Avtoshans LLC, where Sasha worked. He does not believe that the cheerful young man could commit suicide.

Sasha did not tell his friends about the problems in the unit. I just asked from time to time to transfer money to the card. And at the end of July he began to tell them not to come to him - they say, he just had to hold out just a little bit, and there would be a transfer to Slonim. But he confessed something to his mother.

He said that at night the sergeants bring women to the barracks and arrange orgies in front of the soldiers, so that everyone can look at their “exploits,” says Svetlana Nikolaevna. - He said that soldiers are put on a “collar” - a collar with needles - and forced to do menial work, cleaning toilets all night. But he always added that he was fine. Now I think he paid off while there was money.

In mid-September, Korzhich told one of his colleagues that his debt had grown to 150 rubles. The soldier caught a cold, his temperature rose and he ended up in the medical unit, and then began to complain of pain in his heart. According to Sasha’s mother, at this time she received a strange call from one of the junior officers of the unit. He asked how much Sasha had been sick before and asked to bring his card from the clinic. It is quite possible that the soldier was also reproached for feigning illness.

This is not hazing, the army has nothing to do with it. This is bullshit, write it that way,” says a Pinsk resident who knew Alexander Kozhich. - The most reckless “grandfathers” are the “collective farmers”. Not residents of rural areas, not peasants who work on the land, but “collective farmers”. They quickly find each other, unite and begin to crush the disobedient. It can happen anywhere. Sasha did not submit, he was not enough... But he could not escape.

Version 3. Sasha was killed by a soldier who had gone crazy

When Sasha Kozhich’s mother asked if she could talk to the soldier who found her son, she was told that he was in a psychoneurological clinic in Novinki. The relatives of the deceased guy recall that they went to the unit immediately after they were informed about his death, and were in Pechy at about 3:00 on the night of October 4.

On Tuesday, October 3 at 21:23, they called me from an unfamiliar number and said: “Attempted suicide, your son died!” I say: “So he died or attempted suicide?” - “Unfortunately, he died, we will bring you his body.” Well, what kind of suicide, when I talked to him ten days ago, and he said that there was just a little more patience left? We got into the car and drove to Borisov,” says Svetlana Korzhich.

In front of the checkpoint, Sasha’s relatives saw two cars that left the military camp within 20 minutes. Later, someone from the unit’s command explained to them that investigators and forensic experts had left in these cars.

When Sasha’s friends created the VKontakte group “Close to 21-year-old Alexander Korzhich,” people who were in one way or another connected with the situation began writing to them. One of these sources claims that the audit materials already contain the name of the alleged killer, identified in hot pursuit. This is the same soldier who “found” Sasha hanged in the basement of the medical unit.

He was worried that time had passed and no one was looking for Korzhich. He admitted that the victim was able to free himself from the noose and was already giving evidence. And then he himself went to the basement, ostensibly to get a broom (although it is known that the cleaning equipment was stored in another place), but in fact, to make sure of his own safety, the source claims.

What seems strange in this version is that no one looked for the missing soldier for several days. After all, army discipline presupposes regular formations, and the absence of Alexander Korzhich would have been noticed. The exact date of Sasha’s death was not given to relatives. The guy's death certificate states the date his body was discovered - October 3. The same date is on the cross on the grave of Alexander Korzhich in the Pinsk cemetery.

The investigation will officially announce its findings no earlier than in two weeks, when the results of the forensic examination are ready. However, in practice, the investigation of such cases takes much longer. Parents Artem Bastyuk, who was found hanged in one of the units near Borisov on March 31, 2017, tell Euroradio that the criminal case into the death of their son is still being investigated.

During this time, seven examinations were carried out,” says Artem’s father. - But experts cannot say anything concrete. Like grandma’s - in two, you know? Maybe this, or maybe that. This week, investigators must come to a conclusion: to close this criminal case or to continue, and if to continue, then under what articles. But, apparently, nothing has been established regarding hazing.

However, at the last moment, the unit’s command decided not to let the soldiers leave the territory. The meeting with relatives and friends took place under the supervision of officers in the gym, where tables and benches were brought specially for this purpose, and the names of everyone who came to Pechi were copied into a notebook. Previous meetings between military personnel and relatives were controlled much less.

“They took us straight from the training ground to Novinki”

“Discipline has become very tough here now. After that(death of Alexander Korzhich) everything has changed, - says one of the soldiers. - Almost immediately everyone’s phones were taken away. I don't even know where they are now. We do not have constant contact with our relatives. We only know from hearsay that it’s a big scandal. We saw a story on the news on state television.”

As Alexander Korzhich’s colleagues told Svoboda’s correspondent, a few days after the death of the Pinsk resident, another incident occurred.

“The guy who served with Korzhich and was even in the same tank crew with him also tried to hang himself. At least that's what it looked like- the soldiers say. - At the training ground, he stepped aside under a tree, wove a noose out of something, threw it on a branch and began to pray loudly. I smoked cigarettes one after another. This guy was strange right away, but they were in close contact with Korzhich(the name is in the Svoboda edition) . According to rumors, he was taken straight from the training ground to Novinki. He was so worried about the death of his friend or tried to escape from the unit in this way, or for some other reason, we don’t know.”

“We don’t even know exactly who is still serving here and who is no longer serving”

The soldiers also say that the sergeants in Pechi after October 3 (the supposed day of Korzhich’s death) stopped wearing stripes on their shoulder straps. Currently, soldiers are escorted to and from the hospital by officers rather than sergeants. Svoboda's interlocutor says that the detentions of sergeants in Pechi will most likely continue.

“They will detain others, I think. As for those who were detained earlier, S.(the sergeant's name is in the editorial office - RS) in vain. He wasn't involved in anything at all."- says the interlocutor.

In the VKontakte group, which unites military personnel from Pechi and their relatives, on the night of October 14-15, reports appeared about mass arrests of sergeants at school 307. It was not possible to confirm this information on site. “They also remove commanders. Every day someone new. We don’t even know exactly who is still serving here and who is no longer serving,” say the military.

In addition to a stricter regime, constant checks and formations, the activity of the Investigative Committee was noticed in Pechi. Near the units you can see people in the uniform of the Investigative Committee, and soldiers also talk about them.

“Almost everyone has already been interviewed. Some knew Korzhich, some didn’t. We were also all immediately checked for signs of beatings. They undressed and looked- says the interlocutor of Radio Liberty. - Some of them had minor injuries and scratches on their bodies. I don't know what happened next. And the soldiers are interrogated quite harshly. They threaten with liability if anyone keeps silent about the facts of bullying, or with extortion.”

The military in Pechy has less information both about the progress of the investigation and about the details of the death of Alexander Korzhich than journalists - this is due to the ban on mobile phones and, accordingly, access to the Internet. Svoboda’s interlocutors were quite skeptical about reports of nightly entertainment with girls in the barracks, mass extortions and bullying of recruits. They say this is an exaggeration:

“It’s not that scary here, of course. Perhaps there is something. But for the masses, no. Perhaps he somehow individually put pressure on Korzhich.”

On October 3, the body of conscript soldier Alexander Korzhich in the basement of a military unit in Pechi near Borisov. According to an inspection carried out at the military unit, the cause of the soldier’s death was allegedly suicide. But relatives and friends of Alexander Korzhich did not agree with this version. The case received great resonance in society.

The Investigative Committee issued an official statement regarding the investigation into the death of 21-year-old Alexander Korzhich in a military unit in Pechi.

It turned out that the body of a guy with bound legs was found in the basement of a medical company. The investigation has three versions of what happened, and two criminal cases have been opened.

On October 13, after a meeting with the head of state, the committee provided the public with up-to-date information on the case of the death of Private Alexander Korzhich, the tut.by portal writes.

According to reports received on October 3 at 17.47 by the duty station of the Borisov district police department, in the basement of the medical company building at about 17.00 the corpse of a conscript serviceman was found hanging in a loop made of a fabric trouser belt, attached with the free end to a metal fitting under the basement ceiling, tied with shoelaces legs and a T-shirt put on his head, - told official representative of the Investigative Committee Sergei Kabakovich.

It was established that since September 17, Korzhich had been in the medical company for treatment with an acute respiratory infection; he was discharged on September 26. Then, at about 10.30, accompanied by a serviceman, he went to first aid station No. 1.

There is no information about Korzhich’s further whereabouts before the discovery of the corpse. This information is being established by the investigation.

During treatment, Korzhich was examined by a psychiatrist and was diagnosed as healthy, the Investigative Committee reported.

What versions are investigators considering?

During the preliminary investigation in a criminal case, the following versions are considered:

Driving serviceman Korzhich to suicide as a result of hazing, violence, bullying, extortion or confiscation of personal items, money or property;

The murder of a private for reasons of personal hostility, for selfish reasons, due to the possession of information compromising other military personnel;

Korzhich's suicide as a result of psychological trauma, unwillingness to continue serving in the Armed Forces, as well as refusal to commission him.

A representative of the Investigative Committee said: from the testimony of conscripts, it follows that Korzhich’s behavior has changed since September 2017. The guy complained about his health, talked about pain in the heart area and improper treatment. He did not express thoughts of suicide.

The squad leader is suspected of abuse of power

Of the two dozen soldiers, those who directly served in the unit were interrogated - no one indicated any hostility on the part of the unit’s leadership towards Korzhich or the use of physical violence against him.

Moreover, the squad commander, a sergeant, put Korzhich in a more privileged position in relation to the rest of the military personnel due to the fact that there were hazing relations between them: a telephone, food, and cigarettes were purchased for cash and given to this sergeant for use, Kabakovich said.

It was established that there were facts of abuse of power on the part of the squad commander.

This was expressed in accepting money from conscripts for unlimited time use of mobile phones in violation of the established procedure. The amounts of “extortion” from each ranged from 20 to 40 rubles.

Two sergeants are suspected of hazing, and a company sergeant is suspected of fraud

Sergeant B. and Sergeant S., already mentioned in the media, were recognized as suspects in a criminal case initiated under Part 3 of Art. 443 of the Criminal Code “Violation of statutory rules, resulting in grave consequences.” Decisions are being made to detain them, noted a representative of the Investigative Committee.

In addition, a decision was made to initiate a criminal case against the company sergeant major, a warrant officer, who, abusing Korzhich’s trust, stole money worth at least 150 rubles from his bank card from July to September. At the same time, he made payments without the owner’s knowledge in shops and cafes in Borisov. His actions are qualified under Art. 209 of the Criminal Code “Fraud”. Investigative actions are being carried out with his participation. They plan to detain him as a suspect.

Experts are studying data on phone calls, marks on the basement wall and correspondence on the Internet

During the investigation, the premises where the body was found were re-examined. The military personnel's phones were seized, requests were sent and information was partially obtained about the telephone connections of the numbers used by Korzhich and other soldiers.

A comprehensive examination has been ordered to examine the clothing of the deceased soldier, items from the crime scene and traces on the wall of the medical cell’s basement.

The mother of the deceased has been recognized as a victim and has already been questioned by investigators. An inspection was carried out at Korzhich’s place of residence, computer equipment was confiscated, and medical documentation was obtained from the clinic.

Friends with whom he constantly communicated or corresponded on the Internet were questioned as witnesses.

The phones that Korzhich used during his service were examined, and information about the correspondence was added to the criminal case.

As soon as possible, servicemen of the company where Korzhich served - about 60 people, as well as those who were undergoing treatment and served in the medical unit - 104 people will be interrogated. The interrogation of friends and acquaintances continues. A post-mortem psychological and psychiatric examination has been ordered for the deceased,” Kabakovich concluded.

The body of 21-year-old Alexander Korzhich was found on October 3 in the basement of a military unit in Pechi. On October 10, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case.

Initially, the main version of what happened was suicide, but relatives do not believe this.

Alexander Korzhich. Photo from the portal tut.by

On October 15, cadets from Borisov Pechi were supposed to be released into the city to meet their relatives. Relatives came to Borisov from different Belarusian cities. However, at the last moment, the unit’s command decided not to let the soldiers leave the territory.

Photo by Sergei Balay / TUT.by

The meeting with relatives and friends took place under the supervision of officers in the gym, where tables and benches were brought specially for this purpose, and the names of everyone who came to Pechi were written down in a notebook. Before the tragic incident in Pechi, meetings of military personnel with relatives were controlled significantly less, reports Radio Svaboda .

“Discipline has become very tough here now. After that(death of Alexander Korzhich - ed.) everything has changed, - says one of the soldiers. - Almost immediately everyone's phones were taken away. I don't even know where they are now. We do not have constant contact with our relatives. We only know from hearsay that it’s a big scandal. We saw a story on the news on state television.”

As Korzhich’s colleagues said, a few days after his death another incident occurred.

“The guy who served with Korzhich and was even in the same tank crew with him also tried to hang himself. At least that's what it looked like- the soldiers say. - At the training ground, he stepped aside under a tree, wove a noose out of something, threw it on a branch and began to pray loudly. He smoked cigarettes one after another. This guy was strange right away, but he and Korzhich were in close contact. According to rumors, he was taken straight from the training ground to Novinki. Either he was so worried about the death of his friend, or he tried to escape from the unit in this way, or some other reason, we don’t know.”

It was previously noted that the guy who found the body of the dead soldier was sent for examination to Novinki. Alexander Korzhich was with him in the medical unit when he was treated there for ARVI.

In addition to a stricter regime, constant checks and formations, the activity of the Investigative Committee was noticed in Pechi. Near the units you can see people in SK uniforms.

“Almost everyone has already been interviewed. Some knew Korzhich, some didn’t. We were also all immediately checked for signs of beatings. They undressed and looked- says the soldier. - Some of them had minor injuries and scratches on their bodies. I don't know what happened next. And the soldiers are interrogated quite harshly. They threaten liability if anyone keeps silent about the facts of bullying or extortion.”

Let us remind you that on October 3, the body of a conscript soldier was found in the basement of a military unit in Pechi. Alexander Korzhich. The first statements of the Investigative Committee noted that, according to a preliminary version, the young man committed suicide. However, a few days later, when friends and relatives of the deceased spoke about hazing and bullying in the military unit, a message appeared that investigators were working on three versions: incitement to suicide, murder and suicide.

A criminal case was opened on the grounds of hazing and fraud. It was announced that the warrant officer used Korzhich’s bank card at his own discretion: he paid for purchases and services. At the moment, the commander and a number of officials of the unit's command have been suspended from their posts, and the same warrant officer and two more sergeants who are suspected of committing crimes have been detained.

More than 10 thousand Belarusians supported the petition for the resignation of the Minister of Defense in connection with the outrageous incident in Pechy, but the Ministry of Defense called the appeal an information attack against the department.

Let us note that the death of Alexander Korzhich is the second tragic incident in a military unit near Borisov. At the end of March 2017, a 25-year-old soldier who told his family about hazing was found hanged. His mother repeatedly appealed first to the leadership of the unit, and later to the Minister of Defense, demanding to understand the situation. However, nothing was done, and the Investigative Committee closed the case into the soldier’s death.