1.5 years of liberty restriction and 400-dollar damages for dishonoring riot police commander

On 22 June Vadzim Yermalovich, 36, was sentenced to 1.5 years of liberty restriction in an open-type penitentiary under Article 369 of the Criminal Code for insulting the commander of the Minsk riot police Dzmitry Balaba. On 24 December 2020, he posted a comment about the officer in a local chat. On 20 March 2021, Vadzim Yermolovich was taken into custody and his house was searched only to be released three days later with travel restrictions. On 14 April 2021 Vadzim Yermolovich was detained again near the border of Belarus with Lithuania.

The case was considered by Judge Natallia Karablina, the prosecution was supported by Prosecutor Filimonau. The victim Balaba didn't appear at the trial, no investigative actions were conducted with him. But he remotely claimed compensation for moral damages in the amount of 1,000 BYN, which the defendant's parents paid during the trial. After two months in custody, Vadzim Yermalovich was released in the courtroom.