Viktar Ivashkevich: Judge promised to “consult someone” on how her decision should be fulfilled

One of the leaders of Belarusian opposition comments on the decision of Savetski court, which makes him refute his call for sanctions at the website of charter97.org.

“I am going to visit the judge tomorrow and let her explain me what she wants from me. I should refute my words, but I cannot refute them. It would be logical to publish my “refutation” in “Sovetskaya Belorussia”, they have administrative leverage for that. And how can you preach at charter97.org, if you do not recognize them as a mass medium officially? And the judge answered to that, that she should go and consult [someone]. I have given my public explanation in an open letter to Tsyblienka. What else is required?

And as for the court itself, it is obvious that the propaganda campaign against the EU sanctions, in which dozens thousands chairwarmers from ideology departments has been taking part, has failed. There was no storm of public anger. Representatives of pro-governmental trade unions admitted at court that they had not read any of my addresses, and they received a resolution from their trade union bosses. They kept saying that they fear that the things “like the one happened last year” would be repeated. And what happened last year? Collective agreement was terminated, bonuses and additional payments were not paid. But it was done by the administration together with pro-governmental trade unions. So go to court then! I offered to settle the case by compromise, and think it over together how we should sweep away as soon as possible this power which creates problems both for me and for them. But they did not respond in any way to my proposal. But there were bull-necked people with square jaws who were giving instructions to them,” Viktar Ivashkevich said in the interview to charter97.org.