Homel: Christian democrats are considered as extremists

Democratic activist, psychiatrist Siarhei Tryfanau was warned about the inadmissibility of participation in extremist organizations by his bosses.

‘I was invited to the office of the headmaster of the psychiatric hospital by the head of the personnel department of Homel oblast health care board Mikhail Tortsau. He said that he had information about my participation in some terrorist organization, but told nothing about the sources of this information,’ says Tryfanau.

‘I answered that I was a member of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, which was not an extremist organization and whose aims could be read at its web-site.

Then the head of the personnel department said that he was afraid of a terrorist act and asked whether I was not teaching my patients anything bad. I answered that he was talking like a patient of the hospital. He started threatening me and said that I would have problems unless I refused from my oppositional activities.’

Siarhei Tryfanau is a graduate of Hrodna Medical University. In spring he was arrested for 10 days for participation in a historical excursion dedicated to an activist of the Belarusian People’s Republic Paluta Badunova.

In 2006 doctor Tryfanau was arrested for 15 days for distribution of agitation materials for Alexander Milinkevich, a democratic candidate for presidential position.

The observers are convinced that in this case Maryna Damnenka, judge of Tsentralny district court of Homel sentenced the activist to the maximal arrest term because of his demand to lead the trial in Belarusian, as a result of which the court had to look for an interpreter.