Human Rights Activists and Members of BPF Party Prohibited to Meet with Zhaleznichenka

11.02.2008. Tags: political persecution, students, BPF Youth, Zhaleznichenka, human rights defenders, youth leaders.

On Sunday, 10 February, the human rights activists from Homel and Rechytsa and members of the Belarusian People’s Front Party from Zhlobin came to military units 83469 where Zmitser Zhaleznichenka is being illegally kept. The duty soldier refused to let them meet with the activist, referring to a recently introduced quarantine.

The human rights activists, in their turn, demanded that he showed them the order for introduction of the quarantine. Instead of this the duty soldier referred to the prohibition for meeting of soldiers with civil population. At the same time, soldiers were meeting with their friends and relatives at the entrance of the military unit. Then the vice-commandant on the unit Makarevich came out to the people and said that only relatives could meet with the soldiers, all the rest were prohibited to do it. The human rights activists had nothing to do but to write a complaint in the Complaint book of the military unit and pass to Zmitser foodstuffs.
The military officials are still reluctant to implement the court decision granting Zhaleznichenka the right to deferment of the military service. Instead they continue pressurizing the activist to make him give the oath of allegiance, after which he would be considered a soldier and could be judged by military tribunal.

Add commentary

Comments