Franak Viachorka: Authorities hide truth about AWOL soldier

The most popular reason for desertion is bullying and biased attitude from commanders.

Journalist and former political soldier Franak Viachorka spoke to charter97.org about the disappearance of a soldier from the special purpose brigade in Maryina Horka.

“I think the information that he was found at a disco is not true. Usually they say so to get off the subject and create the impression that the problem is solved. The authorities and the military don’t want the situation to develop,” the activist says.

The former soldier says the most popular cause of intentional or non-intentional desertion is bullying.

“It may include bullying by fellow soldiers and biased treatment by a commander. He might have been frightened, for example. Everyone knows that soldiers face psychological measures if the commander thinks they violated the rules: they are isolated, intimidated and threatened or face inhuman conditions. There’s a probability that the soldier has a criminal aim. Anyway, it’s obvious that the authorities don’t want to tell the truth about the AWOL soldier. The public has the opportunity to find the guy. Moreover, if he escaped with weapons, it threatens both the reputation of Lukashenka’s army and people,” Franak Viachorka says.

We remind that the law-enforcement bodies appealed to public looking for a soldier from the special purpose brigade in the town of Maryina Horka.

The soldier’s name is Aliaksandr Sushchyk, born in 1992. The young man wearing military uniform has a knife bayonet and a portable radio transmitter. He is almost 2 metres tall and has a birthmark on the right side of the neck.