Court to Continue Consideration of Student’s Suit on November 2.

25.10.2007. Tags: students, expulsion, repression.
Source: RFE/RL.

Centralny court of Homel will continue the hearing of the suit filed by straight-A student Zmitser Zhaleznichenka on November 2^nd.

The hearing began with the challenge to representative of the university, head of its legal department Iryna Pukhliakova, as she had just recently left the position of a judge in the same court. However, judge Alena Tsalkova rejected that petition of Zmitser Zhaleznichenka’s lawyer.

The representative of the university tried to justify the rector’s order of September 3^rd about expulsion of Zhaleznichenka, 3^rd-year student of mathematic faculty, for “systematic violation of the Standing Orders of the University”.

Howver, Ms. Pukhliakova had a hard time trying to justify the “systematic violation”. The audience was breaking with laughter. The representative of the university, probably, remembering her experience of a judge, reproached the audience: “You confuse court with circus!”

The expelled student many times cornered the university representative with questions, stressing that she is misleading the court. Ms. Pukhliakova could do nothing but refer to “Zmitser’s young age” and “his analytical mind”.

During the hearing it became evident that the dean’s office reprimanded Zmitser in November 2006 for refusal to write an explanation about 20 academic hours of missed classes. He was expelled from university when on September 3^rd the regional tax inspectorate sent a ruling of economic court, which had not yet come into force. The economic court fined Zhaleznichenka on the charge of illegal entrepreneurship for organizing a concert of Belarusian singer-song-makers during summer vacations. This cannot be treated as violation of the Standing Orders of the university.

The role of the Presidium of the students’ trade union which agreed to Zhaleznichenka’s expulsion without even inviting him remains unclear.

When the arguments of the university hang in the air, Iryna Pukhliakova tried to present the expelled straight-A student as an inveterate hooligan: he had a group of support (people who came to court to support him), and they even spread flyers. After he had been expelled, Zhaleznichenka was arrested and sentenced to 8 days of jail for foul language and fined for failure to obey the police. That is why it is impossible to restore him as a student and pay his scholarship otherwise the university will have to expel him again for disorderly conduct.

The earlier conclusion of the observers that the student had been expelled for his civic activism was proved. That is why it was necessary to pin “hooliganism” on him.

The judge summoned dean of the mathematical faculty Siarhei Zhohal and chairperson of the student trade union committee Nadzeya Koltyshava for the next session which will take place on November 2^nd. The judge also made an inquiry about documents for expulsion.

Zhaleznichenka’s lawyer Piotr Barysau also made a petition to summon university rector Alexander Rahachou. However, the representative of the university explained the rector often is out of the city on business trips. It would be reasonable to summon him if other representatives of the university would not be able to explain the grounds for Zhaleznichenka’s expulsion.