Vitsebsk activist Piotr Ivanov fined 4 million

The first penalty of 2 mln was awarded for allegedly stating false facts in his complaint of a violation of traffic rules by a police car. The second fine deals with disobeying police officers who forcibly dragged him to court for perjury. Piotr Ivanov did not admit his guilt either in the first or in the second case.

The complaint of Piotr Ivanov, who was nearly knocked down by a police car, which was moving along the sidewalk, were found groundless by the traffic police. Under the law, he has 10 days to appeal the ruling. However, the same day, April 12, Lieutenant Colonel Aliaksandr Stsiapanau charged Piotr Ivanov with slandering a policeman.

Mr. Ivanov believes that the internal check by the traffic police was incomplete: they failed to interview witnesses who saw the violation and did not request video surveillance footage... The activist did not resist going to court, but the traffic police told him that he was going to be convoyed, as he reportedly was detained. Then Piotr Ivanov demanded that this was documented, “I did not give any reason to doubt that I shall not appear at court on the summons. It’s just disgusting when someone without possessing adequate knowledge of the law is trying to prove that this is him who is the power! They only discredit the power! I requested that I was given a document that I was detained. And if they carried out search or an inspection - that they also gave me a paper! And Major Bahatyrou who pushed me into the car and then dragged to the police station, said, “You want a third charge? Then I’ll write that you’ve been swearing. And the court will be closed before we finish it, and you go on holiday to the detention center!”

It were these threats, as well as a refusal of  the policemen to give their names, police-related  violence, including by unidentified men in civilian clothes, who did not give their names either, that provoked Piotr Ivanov to resist the arrest. In response to this, one of the policemen ordered that Ivanov faced the wall and kicked him in the back. Piotr Ivanov wanted to report this and other violations in the book of complaints of Pershamaiski police department, but he just was not allowed. Meanwhile, the policemen seized his personal belongings, including the keys to his apartment, money and a mobile phone, without writing a report. Therefore, the family and friends of Piotr Ivanov could not find out where he was for quite a time, while he had been just called for a conversation to the traffic police.

Being a citizen of the Russian Federation, Piotr Ivanov demanded that his detention was reported to the embassy. But he is yet not sure that it was done.

The violations were reported to the prosecutor, as well as the regional police department. The fines handed down on March 17 will also be appealed by the activist.