KGB Tries to Recruit Active Students of BNTU

21.04.2006.

Source: www.charter97.org

Today students of the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) detained on October Square during protests of March 19-25, were summoned to rector’s office. They had a conversation with a KGB officer Dzmitry Svistun, www.studenty.by informs.

A conversation with every student was carried out personally. The KGB man offered to some of the students to “cooperate” with the KGB, and persuaded others to protest actions. All students were intimidated by expulsion from the university.

Andrei Shumau, a second-year-student of the university, told about the meeting:

“At first the KGB officer didn’t want to tell his name. After I refused to talk with an unknown, he presented himself. He told that he is a KGB officer Dzmitry Svistun”.

According to Andrei, the KGB officer failed to carry out a conversation the way he planned. The student parries questions of the KGB officer. For instance, when Svistun asked: “What have you been doing at the square?”, the student said: “What do you think I have been doing at the square?”

The conversation with Andrei lasted for a long time. He was offered to work for the KGB. When the student refused, he was warned about problems with passing exams.

A student of the 3rd year of the BNTU car-and-tractor faculty Mikhail Litvinau, a KGB officer was not trying to recruit him, but warned about expelling from the university for participation in protest rallies.

“His main aim was to stop our activism by intimidating us with expulsion. Dz.Svistun said that in case I would take part in “Charnobylski Shliakh” on April 26, and the more so if i would be detained, I am sure to be expelled from university. But I believe that I have a right for expressing my disagreement with the situation in our country, and I will continue that. But I would like to note that in my university I am occupied only by studies, nothing more.