Siarhei Piatrukhin Detained In Brest

The blogger has been released and is going to appeal against the actions of the police.

In Brest, police officers in civilian clothes and uniform detained Piatrukhin when he was leaving his home at about 7.30 a.m. However, a few hours later he was released.

"After my detention as a person under administrative proceedings, I was taken to the Leninski district police department. It turned out that I was charged with failing to appear before the police on Easter, April 28. But they made a mistake – I provided a video recording, which proves it – the police officer, who tried to summon me to the police on April 28, made a mistake and said that I had to appear on April 24. And it was exactly April 24, on that day I was declared a witness in the trial of Aleh Vialau," – Siarhei Piatrukhin told the Brest Newspaper.

He is going to appeal against the actions of the police. In addition, Piatrukhin left a note in the "Book of Comments and Proposals" of Leninski district police department – he offered the leadership of the district department to organize the work of the police officers in such a way as to "appreciate the time of other people."

Siarhei Piatrukhin is known for his videos on pressing social issues. Since 2018, together with Biaroza blogger Aliaksandr Kabanau, he has been covering the construction of the battery factory near Brest on the YouTube channels "People's Reporter" and "YouTube Deputies." The bloggers were repeatedly brought to administrative responsibility for their activity. They were detained and fined large sums of money. People help Piatrukhin and Kabanau to pay the fines.

Last year Piatrukhin was prosecuted for public defamation and insulting police officers. In April this year, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 360 basic units (9,180 rubles) in the state income, as well as ordered to compensate the moral damage of four police officers (a total of 7,500 rubles) and the cost of the lawyer. The State Prosecutor asked for two years of restriction of liberty for Piatrukhin with sending to an open-type correctional institution and a fine of 100 basic units.