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Russian police detain 'YouTube cop'

A Russian police officer who gained widespread fame for posting a video on YouTube alleging police corruption, was arrested on 22 January for fraud and abuse of power.

Aleksei Dymovsky made international headlines late last year when he appealed to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to tackle police corruption on the popular video-sharing site. In a statement, the Prosecutor-General's Office said he faces 10 years in prison if convicted.

“Unlawful act”
Dymovsky's attorney, Sergei Gubar, told media that the authorities are seeking to "discredit him and make him look like an ordinary crook in order to humiliate him and belittle his role and his public statements." Gubar added that the arrest will discourage future whistle blowers and harm the cause of combating corruption. "[...] by detaining Aleksei Dymovsky, they are threatening those people of common sense who remain in the police, telling them that if they try to fight the system, the same will happen to them. What happened today was completely unlawful."

Voluntarily fired
In a series of videos posted on YouTube, Dymovsky, who was a police major in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, alleged that police there engaged in routine falsification of evidence and were under pressure to arrest innocent people in order to meet monthly quotas. He also complained of poor working conditions and a low salary. Dymovsky said in the video he did not mind to be fired and therefore openly said his name. He was fired instantly after posting the videos on the internet.

Accurate allegations
Police in Novorossiisk conducted their own investigation after the videos were released, which they said did not back up Dymovsky's allegations. Rights activists, however, said the allegations were accurate and that police abuse and fraud in Russia are widespread. Attorney Vladimir Volkov, a former prosecutor, told journalists at the time that Dymovsky's allegations only scratch the surface of the malfeasance among the country's police. "[...] Dymovsky doesn't even know the whole truth," Volkov said.

Conclusion was predetermined
Vadim Karastelyov, a Russian human rights activist, told reporters that Dymovsky's detention had been a inevitable conclusion. "The decision to detain [Dymovsky] had been made before the hearing because the courthouse was surrounded by police and FSB personnel, and a police car was waiting for him outside," Karastelyov says. "So, even before the announcement of the ruling, the police took control of the courtroom. They entered the room together with the judge. Then the judge read out the decision to detain him."

Authorities announced in December last year that they were investigating Dymovsky for fraud linked to abuse of office. He was summoned on 22 January to appear in Novorossiisk's  Primorsky District Court.

Russian police criticized
Russia's police have come under increased scrutiny since April, when Denis Yevsyukov, a Moscow police officer, killed three people and wounded six more in a shooting rampage. President Dmitry Medvedev fired Moscow's police chief several days after the shooting. Also, on January 20, 2010, Konstantin Popov, a journalist in Tomsk, died from wounds suffered from alleged beatings while in police custody. One police officer has been arrested in connection with Popov's death.

Sources: The Other Russia; RFE/RL; NRC (Dutch)