Horki: military procuracy pays interest to democratic activists

On 12 February 2010, military prosecutor A.Budzko paid a visit to the apartment of Piatro Malanachkin, activist of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party. The prosecutor informed Malanachkin about an anonymous letter to the procuracy in which it stated that Piatro or his wife had given a bribe to the Horki draft board to save their son from being drafted into the army.

Piatro Malanachkin is surprised at such accusations, because his son studies at a Polish university and therefore has a legal determent of military service. Mr. Malanachkin is sure that the anonymous letter is connected to his religious activities (he is a pastor of the unregistered Protestant community Freedom in Lord and a leader of the campaign against the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus) and the election campaign.

On 13 February 2010 Illia Zaranok, a civil activist from Horki, was questioned in the intergarrison military procuracy in Mahiliou concerning an anonymous letter where it was stated that he had given a bribe to the military commissar of the Horki district.

’I explained to investigator Budzko’, says Illia, ‘that I have never met with the commissar at all. Besides, I am still a postgraduate of the European Humanities University and therefore have a legal determent.’

The activist believes that the anonymous letter is a provocation aimed at intimidating democratic activists.