Police Forge Documents To Bring Journalist To Court

Journalist Ales Liauchuk unveiled the scheme under which officials stole money.

Ales Liauchuk was tried with numerous violations of the law, but judge of the Maskouski district court of Brest Raman Karaban still sentenced the journalist to a fine of 25 base fees, Belsat reports.

The Belsat contributor was tried not only without his personal participation, but on the basis of the document which had no legal force.

"There was absolutely nothing in the case, no testimonies, no explanations. As a result, the police officer decided it was allowed to act like this, and drew up another protocol. In particular, it stated that I refused to sign it. Obviously, this wasn't just a lie, but the abuse of power, a crime by Raman Trafimuk: forgery of the protocol," - our colleague says.

Today, Liauchuk sent a claim to the regional court, asking to abolish the decision of the first instance court and to subject the police officer who violated the law to responsibility.

The reason for the persecution was the piece of news in which the journalist unveiled the scheme under which officials stole money.

Liauchuk was to stand trial on March 2, but the officer of the Maskouski district police department Raman Trafimuk failed to draft a protocol correctly at the first attempt, and there was no time to correct it, and officer Trafimuk made another protocol.

The journalist was summoned to the court with a text message, which Liauchuk received at 9.46 a.m. - the message said his case was to be considered in 14 minutes, at 10 a.m.

Liauchuk found out that the hearing had been postponed from the police's letter on March 12. The journalist is tried under Article 22.9 of the Administrative Code (breaking the legislation on mass media).