Hrodna runaway journalist speaks on porno-peddling case

Hrodna journalist Aliaksei Salei, currently in Poland after Belarus police initiated criminal proceedings for alleged porno-peddling, released a statement on the criminal case against him after he refused to testify against Andrzej Poczobut.

“On 6 January, I was summoned for interrogation to the KGB office to be questioned on the 19 December 2010 events, as I was there taking photos for the Magazyn Polski magazine and the Glos z nad Niomna newspaper. The investigators inquired about what I had seen in the Square. After they learned I was there with Andrzej Poczobut, they became extremely curious about him. I was advised to testify against Poczobut. After I refused to do so, they threatened me with harassment. Soon, my residence was searched, my PC and numerous copies of the periodicals were seized. Later, the police initiated a criminal case for alleged porno production and peddling. Thus, the authorities tried to discredit my dignity. I believe that the case is totally fraudulent, has an acute political subtext and is nothing but harassment for my professional activity”, says the journalist.