Omsk Deputy Detained for Supporting Dymovsky

A deputy of the Omsk City Council has been detained for his support of Aleksei Dymovsky, a former police major who recently launched a campaign to battle corruption in Russia’s law enforcement agencies, according to a press release from the Omsk Public Chamber.

According to the press release, Deputy Oleg Ivanov was detained outside of a bank in the Siberian city of Omsk on Monday by men in plain clothes and brought to a regional police station. The men refused to present identification or give Ivanov the basis for his arrest, saying only that he was being taken to have a “conversation” with Deputy Police Chief Victor Kovalenko.

Witness Anna Lavretsova said that following this “conversation,” Ivanov was taken to a detention facility to await a court hearing.

The Public Chamber alleges that Ivanov was told in the police station that “if you hadn’t supported Dymovsky, you could go free.”

Oleg Ivanov is known in Omsk for his efforts to combat mafia influences in the regional housing authorities. After achieving a twice over reduction in tariffs for local residents, Ivanov was severely beaten by men later identified as police officers from a neighboring area.

Novorossiysk Police Major Aleksei Dymovsky gained notoriety in November when he released two videos on YouTube detailing widespread corruption within the Novorossiysk regional police forces. After facing threats to his family’s safety, Dymovsky left for Moscow, where his initial press conference was attended by a record number of journalists. Authorities have launched an effort to prosecute the former officer for exposing state secrets, most recently focusing on Omsk, where Dymovsky is registered at a house owned by his relatives.