Lipkovich against Zhadobin

Popular blogger Yauheny Lipkovich thinks some statements by the defence minister are extremist.

He sent a complaint to the Belarusian prosecutor general Alyaksandr Kanyuk. Yauheny Lipkovich says that Yury Zhadobin's remarks on the alternative service made during a press conference on February 19 are “destructive and extremist”. He wrote it on his Facebook account.

The blogger demanded the prosecution agency to give a legal assessment of Zhadobin's remark and issue an official warning to him to prevent similar words in the future.

As the general said his words were his “personal opinion”, the blogger demanded to recover costs of the press conference. He says the aim of the event was to introduce the government's vision of the problems of the Belarusian army, but not to express one's personal opinion.

Yury Zhadobin said at the press conference that the idea of the alternative civilian service was “artificial and harmful”. The general is confident that Belarusians use it to dodge military service.

A number of experts said such statements contradict the Constitution, which guarantees the right to the alternative service.