Mikita Sasim called to military enlistment office just from the prison

Youth leader Mikita Sasim was called up for compulsory military service of Belarus. In Minsk special prison facility in Akrestin Street, where the oppositionist was serving his arrest for the preparation of the European March, the representatives of Baranavichy military enlistment office and KGB agents visit him. “When being in prison I was called to the cabinet where a representative of Baranavichy military enlistment office (I am registered in Baranavichy), some KGB agents and a man with video camera were sitting. The military office representative acquainted me with the document where the measures of punishment for violation the rules of military registration were listed. They said I must pass the medical commission. They handed me the enlistment notice under signature. The KGB agents were keeping silence loweringly all the time”, - Mikita Sasim said to Charter’97 press center. After his release (Sasim has served 5 days of arrest for participation in the preparation of the European March) the oppositionist went to Baranavichy to pass the medical commission. Having examined the health of the potential draftee, the military office doctors concluded he needed to have additional examination in local clinic – as there were the after-effects of head injury, he had received from Belarusian OMON (riot police) soldiers. It should be reminded that 16 September 2005 in Minsk the militia dispersed an action in memory of missing people and took away the portraits of the missing politicians and national flags. On that day youth leader Mikita Sasim raised his jeans shirt over his head as a symbol of opposition to the dictatorship. Cruelly beaten by OMON he got to hospital with concussion of the brain. 14 March 2006 shortly before the presidential elections Mikita Sasim was arrested. OMON took him right in the street in Minsk. In the military department he was taken bad, the emergency took him to hospital and he was operated on appendix. The operation took place at night and in the morning the handcuffed youth leader was guarded to his native Baranavichy. In Baranavichy hospital Mikita was laying cuffed to the bed under a convoy of militiamen. After a week he was thrown to the detention facility. It was found out that a criminal action against him was raised on “evasion of military service”. The military enlistment office elected not to remember the beating by OMON and concussion of the brain. 12 May 2006 Mikita Sasim was sentenced to 3 months of arrest by Baranavichy District and City Court. “When I was suffering a conviction, I couldn’t be called up for military service. Now they are going to put boots on me by all means. Our army is evidently lacking of soldiers who served a term for political activity. If I get to the army, I will certainly share my experience with other soldiers”, - Mikita Sasim remarked in the interview to Charter’97 press center. The authorities are obviously going to deprive the youth activist of liberty. This time by military service…