28 March 2024, Thursday, 14:37
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Human Rights Activist: Forced Labor Has Become Norm In Country

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Human Rights Activist: Forced Labor Has Become Norm In Country

As long as the authorities continue to force people to participate in "subbotniki" (voluntary work) and harvesting of potatoes, the tragedy of Maladzechna may happen again.

Maladzechna District Court continues consideration of the lawsuit of the parents of the 13-year-old schoolgirl Victoria Papchenia, who died at the collective farm field during harvesting of potatoes, against the collective farm.

The parents demand to recognize the incident an accident at work. Only court can make such decision, since according to the Belarusian law employment relationship begins only from the age of 14.

– In our country, employment contracts are concluded with 14 years old persons with the consent of one of the parents, but now let the head of Maladzechna District Executive Committee answer why a 13-year-old girl was on the collective farm field? Although, as far as I understand it, many treat it with an "it's not my headache" attitude, and most likely, the teachers will be the ones to be demonized, as it has turned out that no one had ever sent anybody anywhere. So, it means that the teachers took the children to the field on their own initiative. Although it is clear that there was an appropriate order of the authorities. A more wide inspection should be carried out and we should take a broader view of the problem. The teachers by no means need to send the schoolchildren to agricultural works. We need to find out why children are sent to forced labor so that we could to avoid such tragic incidents in the future – the human rights activist Valiantsin Stephanovich said to Radio Racyja.

– Is forced labor a system in the country?

– There is an impression that all of this is systemic. Work-for-the-nation days are held with the participation of millions of people at the national level, and the forced labor practice is carried over to the local level. As you can see, they even descend to children labor.

It is to be recalled that a 13-year-old schoolgirl was killed in Maladzechna district on 29 September. A criminal case following her death was opened against the MAZ driver, who had knocked the girl down and killed, and two teachers.

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