Political draftee Andrei Tsianiuta 'insults President' as well

The activist of an unregistered youth organization Young Front, political draftee Andrei Tsianiuta is threatened with criminal punishment for insult of President and the state symbols of the Republic of Belarus.

Now Mr. Tsianiuta is serving in an air defense military unit. He wrote in the textbook on ideology (a subject taught in the army and higher educational establishments) that white-red-white flag and the Pahonia emblem (that were used as the state symbols of Belarus during the short period of time between the USSR dissolution and Lukashenka's empowerment) were the real state symbols and Lukashenka's government was illegitimate. Colonel Pavel Pishchulau, deputy head of the military unit on ideology, saw these writings and punished the soldier with three extra-schedule work orders. Now Andrei Tsianiuta is also threatened with the instigation of a criminal case for 'insult of the state symbols and President Lukashenka. The colonel even promised to issue a prosecutorial warning to him.

'There was no insult', comments Andrei. 'Firstly, the law envisages punishment only for public expressions'. Secondly, Lukashenka stated about the falsification of the presidential election himself.'

The colonel ordered the commandants of the military unit to control each guest that comes to visit Mr. Tsianiuta in the military unit, and threatened the soldier that he would receive a vacation only before demobilization.

Moreover, the political draftee is discriminate for the use of the Belarusian language. Several days ago deputy commandant of his battalion Khilko ordered Andrei to clean toilets for giving military orders in Belarusian. The deputy commandant wants to teach the guy Russian this way. Our army still leaves much to be desired.