Blogger Aleh Zhalnou's son faces 4 years in jail

In Babruisk, hearing were held in the criminal case against Aliaksei Zhalnou, son of the well-known Babruisk blogger Aleh Zhalnou, who record and puts on the web audio and video recordings of illegal actions of police and traffic police. As a result, he spends almost all spare itme in courts and at interrogations.

Aliaksei Zhalnou was a participant of last year's incident near the building of the traffic police. He is accused under Article 364 of the Criminal Code, "Violence or the threat of violence against police officers".

The case is considered by Judge Yuliya Beraziuk.

The plaintiff, traffic policeman Aliaksandr Butouski, argues that Aliaksei Zhalnou hit him in the head, causing a concussion, and broke his lips. Meanwhile, in the court there was voiced the information that after suffering the alleged attack of Zhalnou Jr. Butovski, despite the "asterisk" in the eyes and feeling unwell, drove by car to get the injuries registered. In the notes of the medic on duty it was also written that the policemen had been hit outdoors, whereas later the traffic policeman asserted that he was injured already in the building of the traffic police. Though the street conversation with the Zhalnous was shot bythe outdoor security cameras at the camera, there is no video of Butouski's “beating”. For unkown reasons, his colleague stopped shooting the conflict inside the building of traffic police.

Aleh Zhalnou claims that aliaksei could not physically counteract Aliaksandr Butouski as in one hand he was holding his video camera, and the policeman held him by the elbow of the other one. The blogger considers the criminal proceedings against his son as revenge to himself.

“The prosecutor demands 4 year in a high-security colony for my son. Butouski also seeks 100 million rubles as compensation for moral damages, despite the obvious inconsistencies in the testimony of the traffic policeman. In general, Butouski and his witnesses, as well as traffic policemen, evidently have fun at the hearings. They joke, talk and laugh, while the judge pays no reaction. At the same time, today I have been expelled from a hearing for a minor comment. I don't know whether there is a biased attitude to my son, but it seems quite strange that absolutely all the petitions declared by our lawyer are rejected by Judge Yuliya Beraziuk.

The next hearing in the case of Aliaksei Zhalnouwill held on July 18. It is assumed that this day the verdict will be announced.

“Watching the proceedings in Aliaksei's case, I don't hope for a good ending. Another unpleasant suprise for us is that a case has been brought against my wife. I have been summoned to the investigation committee as a witness already. She is accused of biting the local police inspector and trying to close the entrance door during the latest search in our house. In fact, the unexpected visit of the police took place in the morning, while my wife was closing the door behind me, dressed just in underwear. She was knocked on the floor, then they stepped over her and entered the apartment. Now they are trying to make a criminal out of her, maybe they will even start criminal proceedings,” says Aleh Zhalnou.