The Ministry of Internal Affairs [MIA] releases the statement regarding the information, spread by the representatives of non-governmental organizations and members of various political groups.

“In recent days, various media outlets and social networks have been actively spreading information on the confiscation of personal belongings of detainees and their disappearance under vague circumstances.

We want to respond to the spread information and inform public that according to Article 26, paragraph II of the Law “On Police” and Article 249 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the police has the right to temporarily confiscate or seize a person’s actual possession of an item in the case defined by the law.

Personal belongings, which were confiscated on the basis of the above-mentioned norms, were returned to the detained persons in temporary detention centers, according to the acting legislation, upon release.

The spread information, alleging that employees of the MIA illegally confiscated personal belongings from the arrestees, is a complete falsehood and only serves to discredit the Agency and the law enforcement officers”, - reads the statement.