Police whistle blower arrested in southern Russia

Former police officer Aleksey Dymovsky, who criticized Russia’s law enforcement agencies in his video address to President Medvedev, has been arrested for threatening a law enforcement officer on Friday.

Last November Dymovsky posted a notorious online communiqué urging the federal government to “restore order” in the law enforcement agencies. Soon after, Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev ordered an internal investigation into the major's claims. Following the move Dymovsky was dismissed from police ranks and a criminal case was instigated against him.

Dymovsky was accused of fraud and signed a written pledge not to leave the country. However, the court quite unexpectedly decided to change restriction measures and put Dymovsky into a pre-trial detention center.

It is reported that Dymovsky allegedly threatened a law enforcement officer who is investigating the criminal case against him.

The Russian Prosecutor's General Office Investigative Committee confirmed Dymovsky’s arrest to Interfax.

“At the request of investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee in the Krasnodar territory, the arrest was chosen as a restriction measure for the former officer of the interior ministry's department in Novorossiysk. Dymovsky is charged with committing fraud and abusing his official position,” Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin stated.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal case is still underway.