“Hunt” of participants of solidarity action in Barysau
Participants of the action of solidarity, held in Barysau on February 16, are threatened with expulsion from education establishments.
As the Charter’97 press center has learnt from the activist of the civil campaign “European Belarus” Aleh Haravy, pupils of the 9th form of school #8 Mikita Halakhvastau and Artur Dzivin were called to the school administration on Wednesday. The headmaster had some conversations with Halakhvastau, Dzivin, and their parents. She asked the boys to explain in written form why they had participated in the action of solidarity. Then the headmaster said Halakhvastau and Dzivin would be visited “by people from Minsk” on February 19.
Aleh Haravy, pupil of the 11th form of the lyceum in Barysau, was also invited for a conversation. The headmaster asked in what street action he had taken part and with what purpose. The conversation with Haravy took about three hours.
“I know that Kazak Halina, head of the education department of the Barysau district executive committee, phoned the headmaster,” Aleh Haravy tells. “She was waiting until the character reference letter was written. She said an inspection from Minsk would come. The headmaster said the least I could face is expulsion from the BRSM (pro-president youth movement), which I had joined some years ago, but had no time to leave it. I have known today that I will be deprived a membership card and a BRSM badge. A head of the BRSM in Barysau will come to school and I will be expelled from the organization in the presence of my classmates.”
Activist of the “European Belarus” Mikita Ulasau, who has recently moved to Barysau from Minsk, applied for Starabarysau school. After the action of solidarity on February 16, he learnt from the headmaster that he wouldn’t be admitted to school.
Student of Barysau school #202 Yauhen Halubets, who took part in the action of solidarity, learnt from the headmaster he would most likely be expelled from school.
It should be reminded that activists of the civil campaign “European Belarus” went to the center of Barysau with a national white-red-white flag, a banner “Solidarity”, and candles.
Ten minutes after the action began, local militiamen came up to the participants and ordered to stop the action. Militiamen wrote down names of the “European Belarus” activists and said they would be called in to the Barysau militia department.
