Are they legalized slaves? :: Charter'97 :: News

In reply to the request of the Belarusian Helsinki committee (BHC) the defense ministry of the Republic of Belarus acknowledged employment of the forced labor in the transport armed forces.

Solders employed for working at construction sites which does not involve doing military service actually acquire the status of civilians though they remain under the supervision of their military authorities’ .The latter does not leave any choice for them.

The BHC considers that forcing soldiers doing military service to labor duties not concerned with military service violates their rights stipulated by Article 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and Article 8 of the International Pact on Civil and Political Rights. People of active young age instead of doing military service, getting professional promotion and receiving commercial profit are engaged in inefficient labor for lousy payment.

According to the BHC ,the employment of military men for forced cheap labor is unfavorable for the society either as it negatively affects the younger generation upbringing.
The BHC calls the competent bodies of the state power for denouncing on the Constitutional basis the legislative norms “legalizing” the employment of forced labor in Belarus.