KGB Helped by Military Enlistment Offices

On 6 March the workers of Homel oblast KGB office tried to interrogate the activist of the youth organization Civil Forum Andrei Stryzhak in the building of Rechytsa military enlistment office.

According to the information, given by Stryzhak to the BelaPAN, he was called to the military enlistment office on the phone, for specifying some information. No official writ was sent. When Stryzhak came there, he was met by two people who introduced themselves as the KGB workers Yury Filonenka and Siarhei Kazlou.

‘When I asked about the format of our meeting, they answered that it was not a process action, but just a ‘talk’. Then I asked whether it was legal to hold such meetings on the territory of the military enlistment committee, which could be considered as involvement of army in politics. The KGB agents explained to me that according to the law on investigation and search operations they had the right to hold their measures in the buildings of any form of property. During the next 20 minutes they were asking general questions. I did not give any answers to them and as a result the talk came to an end. At departure they left me the telephone number of the duty KGB officer in Rechytsa district,’ said A.Stryzhak.

Bear in mind, that two weeks ago the activist of the Civil Forum Aliaksandr Bandziuk was called to Zhytkavichy military enlistment office, also ‘for specifying some information’. He was met by a man who introduced himself as a KGB worker, proposed to the activist moral and material support of his organization in exchange for cooperation. Bandziuk says that he refused from cooperation and hasn’t been disturbed by the KGB since that time.