Haradok: harassment of election observer

11.11.2008. Tags: political persecution, elections-2008.
Source: A.Milinkevich's press-service.

A resident of Haradok district Alexander Zhydkevich decided to monitor the latest Parliamentary election (held on 28 September) on his own initiative. During the election the local authorities warned him that the election would end on 28 September, whereas he would be still living in the same place and working at the same job.

Alexander understood what it meant immediately after the end of election. All workers of the first-aid station where he works, and also for many citizens of his village (Bychykha) have a negative attitude to him, treating him like a member of the opposition.

After the electoral campaign dentist Zhdydkevich started having trouble with his bosses and had to struggle with them for proper storing of medical drugs.

However, his honest position resulted in a false statement in the Complaint book that in August a patient had allegedly paid for medical treatment, through it is free. The matter is that a relative of an ‘offended’ worker of the first-aid station put this record in the complaint book on 15 October.

Haradok police reacted very quickly. They confiscated from the medic his working documents and question his patient concerning ‘paid services’.

Today in Bychhykhat there took place an ambulatory sitting of the police, at which Alexander Zhydkevich (like all retired military officers) was fingerprinted without any explanations concerning their right to refuse from this procedure. Then a representative of Haradok police took away his passport and told to wait for the police officers who would guard him to the police station.

Alexander Zhydkevich reported this fact of legal boundlessness to the procuracy of Haradok district. An officer of the procuracy advised him to file an official complaint to the procuracy.