Brest Farmer Is Judged For Resisting Police

Mikalai Belchuk from Malaryta district was detained by unknown people in civilian clothes, whom he and his family took to be bandits.

Mikalai Bialchuk, a resident of the village Arlianka in Malaryta district, is charged for "violence against a policeman."

The trial began in the Brest district court on November 23. Mikalai Bialchuk is charged under article 364 of the Criminal Code – "violence or threat of violence against a police officer." The maximum penalty under this article is 6 years in prison, Radio Svaboda reports.

We remind that the incident took place on May 9, 2014, when Bialchuk had a conflict with the traffic police because of a self-made tractor in the village Stradech of Brest district. The policeman Siarhei Nelipovich argued that force had been used against him. In 2014, Mikalai’s brother Aliaksandr Bialchuk was sentenced for that to two months of arrest.

Mikalai was not punished, but for some reason, two years later, on October 12, 2016, policemen came after him to the village. That day the Bialchuks had a conflict with the police, in a result of which the riot policemen even used their service weapon.

The Bialchuks say they did not realize there were police officers, as they were not wearing uniform and did not identify themselves. And at the same time they forced Mikalai into the car and left. Relatives took them to be bandits and chased them.

As a result of this conflict, a criminal case for resisting the police was opened against Aliaksandr Bialchuk, he is now in jail.

As previously reported, Mikalai Bialchuk has been on a hunger strike in protest against the police brutality since November 1, he is in a remand prison.

He was taken into the courtroom by the arms – he can hardly move because of the hunger strike.

Bialchuk was read out the charge – he had allegedly inflicted bodily injury to policeman Siarhei Nelipovich. "Bialchuk committed violence against a policeman," – the prosecutor said.

Bialchuk didn’t admit his guilt in full.