Neither acquitted nor imprisoned: Minsker wounded by police sentenced to restriction of liberty


A court in Minsk sentenced Andrey Gaurash, whom a policeman wounded on New Year’s Eve, to 5 years of restriction of liberty.

Prosecutor Alena Krupenina asked the court to give Gaurash, an 29-year-old worker of Keramin plant, a three-year prison term. His defense lawyer, however, insisted on his being acquitted. Policeman Ruslan Salavyov, who had fired the gun at the defendant twice, urged the court not to send Gaurash to prison, but sentence him to restriction of liberty.

The incident took place at the very beginning of the year on Lyubimov Avenue in Minsk. Neighbours called the police, because at a group of people were making too much noise at 6 am.

According to the official version, the law enforcement officer who arrived at the scene (Salavyou) was met at the door by a man in a drunken state (Gaurash). The policeman’s explanations did not have any effect. The drunk man suddenly struck the police officer in the chest, and then made another series of blows to his head, he then tried to get hold of his service weapon, the Minsk police press service stressed. The policeman then made two shots at the attacker, who was then taken to hospital. Salavyou reportedly got a traumatic brain injury.

The story sparked a massive public outcry. A lot of Belarusians believe that Salavyou’s resorting to arms was an excessive measure. Andrey Gaurash did not admit his guilt and claimed that it was Salavyou who had struck the first blow.

belsat.eu

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