Authorities Continue Pressure on Families of Repressed Students

26.10.2006.

Member of the BPF youth, head of the BPF youth n Poland Stsiapan Svidzierski is a student of Gdansk university in Poland. He studies in Poland in the framework of Kastus Kalinouski Program designed to help the repressed students in Belarus. Stsiapan used to be a student of historical department of Belarusian State University in Minsk. Having served his term of arrest after poluce had dispersed the protesters’ tent city, Stsiapan encountered serious problems with his dean’s office. Stsiapan was not expelled officially, however, the dean’s office did not let his take his summer exams.

Recently Stsiapan’s mother, who lives in Hrodna, received a notice from the University saying she had to pay 65 thousand BYR for her son. Stsiapan failed to attend a summer field class for which each student was to receive per diem. The university demands the amount the student could have received during the class.

However, Stsiapan spent the whole summer in Poland, did not attend the class, and, naturally, did not receive the money.

Ales Kalita, lawyer, head of the BPF youth, comments: “The very situation is absolutely absurd. The authorities not only exclude people from colleges, but also try to get money from them. That reminds of the police seizing the property of tent city participants – without any documents or reports. One can say, the authorities simply rob people”.