Vaukavysk: Authorities Try to Disrupt Assembly of BPF Party

12.11.2007. Tags: political parties, Belarusian Popular Front, political persecution.
Source: pbnf.org.

On 11 November in Vaukavysk an assembly of the BPF Party for nomination of delegates to the upcoming General Assembly of the party took place. The assembly was attended by the BPF chairman Vintsuk Viachorka, his deputy Ales Mikhalevich, the chair of Hrodna BPF office Siarhei Malchyk, the chair of Vaukavysk BPF office Mikalai Kalalchuk and a member of the BPF council Uladzimir Kishkurna.

Before the beginning of the assembly the head of the local ideological vertical expressed his intention to attend it. However, the assembly participants decided not to let him in. ‘They have legal right to do so’, said Vintsuk Viachorka, ‘the ideological vertical has no powers to control or check up the activity of political parties’.

The assembly was accompanied by insistent knocks on the door. Four policemen stood at the entrance together with several persons in mufti and demanded to let them in. After the end of the assembly the police attempted to check-up the passport data of its participants.

‘It is not the first assembly of the BPF Party in Hrodna region that is attended by representatives of the ideological vertical. Today in Vaukavysk I have asked the ideologist where he found about the assembly from, but he did not answer anything proper. Taking into account the fact that the ideologist acted together with the police and persons in mufti, I conclude that such visits are coordinated by the authorities,’ said Vintsuk Viachorka.

When the chair of Hrodna regional BPF office Siarhei Malchyk arrived home, he found an unpleasant surprise. The lock on his doors was broken. ‘It is already the third case when somebody breaks the lock on my doors. Now I can’t get into my apartment,’ commented Siarhei Malchyk. ‘I think that it is revenge of KGB. They did not manage to disrupt the assembly in Vaukavysk, so they decided to harm me this way.’