MOSCOW — When a police officer posted a video on YouTube complaining of rampant abuse in Russian law enforcement, it seemed like a lonely voice in a sea of social media.
Since then, three more officers have come forward with their own YouTube videos making similar accusations — and others are lining up to do the same.
In a country where the rule of law is weak and most traditional media are under government control, social-media sites are gaining a role as a place where fed-up citizens can broadcast their grievances.
But in the case of the YouTube cops, things might not be as simple as they seem. The unusual burst of whistle-blowing follows pledges from the Kremlin to clean up Russia’s notoriously corrupt police force — and some suspect the Internet campaign might have sprung from within the halls of power.
A grainy low-resolution video posted last week showed a fair-haired, nervous-looking police officer sitting on a shabby couch saying he promised to jail an innocent man in return for a promotion.
Maj. Alexey Dymovsky, a disgruntled officer from the southern port city of Novorossiisk, started the trend with two YouTube pleas in which he said his bosses forced him to falsely report that unsolved cases had been cracked.
“I am fighting for the truth,” he said, directly addressing Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
“I am a bit scared to address you and the whole country, . . . but I can’t do it any other way.”
Dymovsky’s postings received 700,000 hits by Monday, the day he was fired and threatened with a lawsuit for slander. However, the Interior Ministry ordered an investigation into his allegations, and Dymovsky’s example found followers.
By Thursday night, three more YouTube pleas decried abuses, trumped-up convictions and corruption.
Russian police normally close ranks in the face of criticism, but they have come under growing scrutiny, facing public grumbling over corruption and concerns over horrific outbursts of violence.
In April, a Moscow police precinct chief killed three people and wounded seven others in a shooting spree inside a supermarket and on the street outside, according to authorities.
