Vitsebsk police respond to the story of the denunciation of host Vital Saveliev and threaten criminal liability for posts

The Interior Directorate of the Vitsebsk Regional Executive Committee has published its version of the story of host Vital Saveliev. A complaint was filed with the police against him after a humorous "roast" of colleagues at a meeting of wedding industry workers.

Saveliev himself said on TikTok that a complaint was written against him after his performance at an annual meeting of wedding industry workers. According to him, he joked about colleagues during the "roast", and two hours later the police arrived.

According to the directorate, a message came in to the Interior Ministry's chatbot "We Are Always Near!" saying that at an establishment in the Vitsebsk district a 38-year-old host at a corporate event spoke about a colleague in unflattering terms, including using obscene language.

The police say the complainant also reported that the host condemned the colleague's professional dealings with state bodies.

Saveliev said an unknown person sent the Interior Ministry chatbot a recording of his performance and accused him of "insulting statements of a political nature". He says politics was not discussed.

According to him, every year at the end of the wedding season hosts hold a "Session", a meeting of people who work in the industry, to celebrate the end of the wedding marathon. "Traditionally at such an event we do a 'roast', a format of tough jokes about each other," Saveliev said.

An inspection is under way, after which Saveliev's actions will be given a legal assessment. No deadline for its completion has been given.

Separately, the directorate warned of liability, up to criminal liability, for internet posts that, in the view of the agency, distort the picture of what happened. The police did not specify which claims they consider inaccurate or whom the warning is addressed to. The agency recalled that public defamation and insults on the internet are prosecuted under the law: both administrative and criminal liability are possible.