Journalist Beaten in Court Building
Journalist Pavel Dabravolski was covering a scandalous graffiti case when he was detained, beaten and fined.
The journalist of TUT.by portal was standing outside the courtroom where the case of graffitists was considered. He saw that two people – Pavel Siarhei and Maxim Shytsik were taken forcefully out of the court room, and he started to record it with a video camera. He was detained together with the activists.
According to the HRC Viasna, the detainees were beaten straight in the adjacent room – the sounds were heard in the courtroom. They were taken to the police department, charged with art. 24.1 (contempt of court) and art. 23.4 (disobeying lawful demands of officials). Then the detainees were taken to the Frunzenski district court. Pavel Dabravolski was fined for 45 basic amounts (9 450 000 rubles) (under articles 23.4 and 17.1 (hooliganism) — corrected), Pavel Siarhei – for 50 basic amounts (10 500 000 rubles). The judge was Maria Yerokhina, the witness – the police officer Siarhei Kavalchuk, who is said to have taken part in the beating.
Pavel Dabravolski says his cell phone was ceased, all data were deleted. Several employees of the special forces knocked him down and beat with legs for 20 minutes, he said. The reporter noted he had his press badge on, and the police officers saw it.