Siarhei Piatrukhin: Policemen, Officials Strongly Fear Publicity

You cannot hide anything from the camera.

Blogging as a phenomenon has long become commonplace in the Belarusian cities and towns. Some write, some take pictures, and some prepare video content for their Internet channels. In Brest, by the way, video bloggers who are engaged in social and political topics are popular.

Brest blogger, one of the co-authors of the People’s Reporter Youtube channel, Siarhei Piatrukhin has talked with Radio Racyja:

- Unfortunately, what is shown on television is not true. An empty niche has appeared in Belarus, which is now being occupied by bloggers. And this is a very good opportunity for self-actualization as a journalist, social activist. Aliaksandr Kabanau and I differ from all bloggers. We work specifically on the facts. We conduct investigations and research. We work with officials, corrupted officials, law enforcement officers who exceed their official powers. We really help people.

We do not analyze the news. We do the news ourselves. We specifically help people and bring to the surface the problems that exist in the life of an ordinary person who is faced with the wall of bureaucratic arbitrariness, indifference and lawlessness.

- Which of the problems you voiced are the most common for Brest?

- Obviously, the battery factory. Everybody knows about it. If we talk about something else, then it is the arbitrariness of the security and law enforcement agencies. This is a very big problem for the people. This arbitrariness of judges and prosecutors. Total disregard, total ignore, formal replies.

- Are there any victories, fruits from your work?

- Of course, there are. According to our investigations, high-ranking officials of the Brest regional executive committee were convicted in criminal cases. The policemen who committed a terrible, as I believe, crime - brutally beat the Brest residents — were convicted. Unfortunately, they jailed only one of them -Kuliashou from Kobryn, who broke the villager’s leg. What is the main thing? Not even the fact that we are supported by so many people. This is the fact that the policemen and officials began to change a little. Knowing that they coyuld be caught by a video camera, they behave quite differently. They are very afraid of publicity, unfortunately, because the officials and police should be open to people.

- You are now covering the widely known topic of building a battery factory. Due to this problem, the backbone group of people has formed, of those who are ready to go to the end. There is the creation of a civil society.

- Due to the construction of this factory in our city, a community of smart, brave, caring people was born. Dziamyan Lepiasevich, Tatsiana Fesikava, Dzmitry Bekaliuk - these people are loved, known, and trusted. People lay their hopes on them. And if in the summer 30-50 people came out to “feed the pigeons”, now it’s 200.