Authorities Try Pressurizing Entrepreneurs’ Leaders

The authorities responded to the recent unrest in Zhdanovichy market and to creation of self-defense committees of the entrepreneurs by pressing leaders of the entrepreneurs movement. Two leaders of the campaign For Free Development of Entrepreneurship Viktar Harbachou and Aiaksandr Tsatsura have been called to the police department.

Bear in mind that over the previous weeks the regular checks accompanied by goods confiscation were conducted at the markets in all the regions of Belarus. The entrepreneurs’ protest by legal means was opposed by the authorities. Thus in Barysau the entrepreneurs were three times refused of making a picket in defense of their rights. Then Viktar Harbachou declared creation of self-defense committees. After that For Free Development of Entrepreneurship campaign activists were called to the militia departments. 17 August the court trial of entrepreneur Aliaksandr Vasilieu was held in Pinsk.

On 20 a Salihorsk activist Aliaksandr Tsatsura was summonsed to the police. Viktar Harbachou in his interview with the press-service of the United Civic Party remarked that those were not the only cases.

’Pressing is being exerted all over the country. It is targeted at threatening entrepreneurs but it is obvious that the gained effect was opposite to the desired. People are ready to defending their rights and they can’t be threatened either with sanctions or calls to the police,’ Viktar Harbachou considers.