Political call-up

More than ten oppositional activists could be drafted in the army for compulsory military service and training.

As informed by “Radio Racyja”, even those who had been diagnosed as unfit for service by doctors, are called in by military enlistment offices. Among them is the chairman of the Council of the Moladz BNF (the Youth of the Belarusian Popular Front Alyaksandr Kalita. Three months ago at a medical commission of the military enlistment office found a cardiac aneurysm. However, on Monday Kalita was called up to the military enlistment office and send for another examination, in the regional hospital now.

It looks like military enlistment offices are hurrying with drafting activists in the army. One of the leaders of the Moladz BNF Yury Dzyashuk has graduated from journalism faculty of the Belarusian State University this year. The guy hasn’t even had time to defend his diploma, when the military enlistment office informed him in which military unit he is to serve. A draft commission was not waiting for Dzyashuk to give all necessary documents.

Yuras Dzyashuk was promised to be sent to Interior Ministry troops for service. The young man is convinced that in this way the authorities have decided to “reform” him.

Another “political draftee”, an activist of the movement “For Freedom!” Paval Batuyeu, also notes keen interest of military enlistment offices to public activists. Recently his determent on family grounds expired. In the beginning of April he was called in for a medical examination by a special commission. Everything looks legal at the first sight. But the case of Pavel Batuyeu is for some reason placed under personal of army commissar.

By the way, Pavel Batuyeu succeeded in receiving a military enlistment office’s questionnaire in Belarusian, though it has been translated by the military men with a great number of mistakes.

Meanwhile, not only activists of call-up age are started to be recruited, but even those who have exceeded this age already. Mozyr-based member of the organizational committee for creation of the party “Belarusian Christian Democracy” Paval Nazdra is taken for the so-called military training. The activist is to spend 19 days in a military unit. Paval thinks 17 days he is to spent at military training will be some kind of isolation, like administrative arrest. The reason is to prevent pro-democracy activism in the run-up to the parliamentary elections.

One of the members of the Belarusian Popular Front party Franak Vyachorka is likely to be drafted as well. A phone call of Radio racyja found him in a hospital. He is examined under an order of the army medical commission. Franak is convinced that the regime is to use the new mechanism of isolation of politically active young people in military units for a long time.