Babruisk blogger Aleh Zhalnou litigates with traffic police
Aleh Zhalnou, known for his blog in which he exposed the illegal
actions of the police and traffic police, is in court again. This
time the local traffic police try to prove Judge Natallia Charapukha
that Aleh and his son Aliaksei used physical violence
against them. In their turn, The Zhalnous insist that they didn't
show any resistance to the police, but have themselves
become victims of abuse of powers
by the traffic police.
The story began
on 4 September, when the Zhalnous were coming to the building of the
traffic police and saw two cars parkeed in the sidewalk. They stopped
the police inspector Aliaksandr Butouski who was driving away by his
duty car, and asked him to register the violation of the traffic
rules. He refused saying that his working hours were over. Aleh
Zhalnou asked him to show his police ID. The policeman refused and
started driving backwards, then got out of the
car and called his colleagues.
Aliaksei Zhalnou was shooting all these events
on video. The road policemen said they prohibited him to make video
shots and tried to cover the lens. Later on
Aleh Zhalnou supplemented this video with the
video from the external camera on the building of the traffic police,
which he took from the Investigative Committee.
The police
inspector Aliaksandr Aliaksandrau who came on Butouski's request,
said that the cars were parked not in the sidewalk, but on the
adjacent territory of the building of the traffic police department.
He also asked Mr. Zhalnou to come to the building for drawing a
report under Article 135 of the Traffic Rules, “Groundless
interference with the movement of the vehicle".
“Me
and Aliaksei were forcibly dragged into the
building. At the same time we didn't resist,
as we knew with whom we were
dealing,” says Aleh Zhalnou. “I
saw how the son was
put on the floor and
his arms were twisted.
I noted that a
street camera was working outdoors, therefore they treated us quite
gently there, I was just put on the ground serveral times there.
However, they took revenge in the building. When I tried to help my
son get up, they knocked me down and put me face to the ground. Then
they seized my equipment, put handcuffs on my hands and kept me in
this position until I started to faint. I should not that I have an
ill spine, that's why I
generally can not resist. Then Aliaksei was
dragged into one room
and I was into
another. On the way Butouski kicked me with
his fit and pushed me so that my head would hit the wall. When I was
finally put on a chair, Butouski whispered to me: “You're doomed.
You've broken
my lip and torn away a
shoulder strap, you'll be surely imprisoned
for that.” However, I saw that there were no injuries or blood on
his face."
After the
"conversations" with the traffic police Aleh
Zhalnou needed medical assistance. After this he was taken to the
district police department in handcuffs, where he was allowed to
drink some water only four hours after the detention, a violation
report was drawn up, his personal belongings were taken away, after
which he was let go.
“After a long hastle with the
documents and the case materials, on 9 October a court sitting was
held. The traffic policemen argued that it was me and Aliaksei who
had used physical violence,” says Aleh Zhalnou. “Moreover, they
found some witnesses to help trying me under Article 23.4 of the Code
of Administrative Offenses, “insubordination
to a lawful demand of a public agent on duty”. I read their
testimonies, only their beginnings were different, whereas the bulk
was identical, including the orthographic mistakes. Most probably,
the guys weren't warned about the
responsibility for false testimony when they
signed it. Babruisk drivers Maksim Makarevich,
Aleh Kapustsin and and Siarhei Panchanka, who came to the traffic
police that day argue that it was us who had beaten the traffic
policemen who hadn't even resisted. They had allegedly even seen the
traces of beating on a policeman's face."
However,
the Investigative Committee possesses a video where it can be seen
that the police inspector Yauhen Serashtanau used a painful hold and
pushed the people.
Aleh Zhalnou says that the traffic police
even threatened to punish him for posting photos of the participants
of this story on his blog. However, he says he has found all these
photos freely available on the internet.
“At
the police request, it was prohibited to take video and photo shots
and make audio recordings at the court sitting. I don't know what
verdict the judge will issue, but hope that
justice will prevail . I am often asked why I am doing all
this, contrary to the situation? It's quite
simple : I want us to be guarded by competent police and traffic
police who respect the law. It is necessary that citizens know their
rights too and are not
afraid to defend them, so that we can be proud of our
country,” says Aleh Zhalnou.