Former police lieutenant colonel involved in protests sentenced to 6 years in prison and fined for abuse of power

February 10, BPN. The Lida District Court (Hrodna region) sentenced former police lieutenant colonel Piotr Budz’ko from Iŭje to 6 years in a penal colony and to a fine of 500 basic units (BYN 16,000), the news website Mediazona reported citing the trial.

The former security officer was found guilty under Article 426, part 3 of the Criminal Code (abuse of power or official authority). According to the prosecution, the man, who took over a business after his resignation from the police, punched his employee “in the head at least 12 times,” causing “minor bodily harm.” The victim stated in court that he did not want to press charges against the accused.

Budz’ko was detained on August 20, 2021. His house and cottage were searched and his electronic devices were seized. The trial has started on February 7, 2022.

Piotr Budz’ko had been a police officer for over 20 years. He completed his service in Kareličy (Hrodna region) as the deputy head of the Department of Internal Affairs. In December 2020, he was arrested for a total of 32 days under Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code for participating in an unauthorized mass event.

“After the events in Minsk, I realized that there was no law in the country. I resented the state. I started protesting together with the townspeople in the square in Iŭje, demanding from the authorities and the local MP to restore the rule of law, to stop the violence, and to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the former policeman stripped of his rank told Narodnaja Volia newspaper in an interview in February 2021.

In May 2021, Aliaksandr Lukašenka stripped of their ranks more than 80 former law enforcers, including Budz’ko.