Henadz Fyadynich: Let the Authorities not Think We to Be Silent

The police began to draw protocols on participants of a solidarity action with an illegally retired worker from Slonim.

Vasil Korabau, representative of the Belarusian Trade Union of Radio-Electronic Industry (REP), who has allegedly participated in the solidarity action with Mikhail Soshko, is drawn protocol on.

According to Korabau, a police officer visited him and gave him the protocol to sign. The protocol says he participated in an unauthorized action next to the administration building of Minsk worsted-goods factory on March 31, Radio Svaboda reports.

- I did not sign it, because of absence of eyewintesses. Then everyone may be drawn up protocol on.

Henadz Fyadynich, leader of the REP, stated that activists of the Trade Union from Brest, Minsk, Babruisk, Baranavichy had faced the same problem. They are waiting for trials.

–The authority simply counteracts our Trade Union's activity. We came to Slonim to protect rights of our colleague who was illegally dismissed from the job. It turns out that the government may violate rights of employees, and we cannot protect ourselves. Police were involved in the story. Their building locates next to the factory, they did not talk to us, just drew the protocols without witnesses. It is clear they've been ordered from above for us not to be able to speak out any protest. That will never do, because we are going to protest at international scale. Let them not think we will be silent, the Trade Unions' leader said.

Mikhail Soshko worked 30 years in the Slonimworsted-spinning factory. A few years ago he became the member of the REP and and became a public activist.

Soshko, according to activists, has repeatedly interceded for rights of other workers in the enterprise. As the member of the REP he and other activists visited Sweden by the invitaton of colleagues of IF Metall Trade Union. After the return he wanted to share the experience with his colleagues in the factory, but got a penalty.

On the last day in the factory members of the REP held a solidarity action in Slonim. Some people had a poster in their hands: "Keep your hands off of Mikhail Soshko."