Young Front co-chair Andrei Tsianiuta expelled from university

Andrei Tsianiuta, co-chair of the Young Front opposition movement, has been expelled from the Frantsysk Skaryna Homel State University. The activist was studying law in his third year, Young Front’s press-service reports.

Andrei Tsianiuta was expelled for alleged systematic (repeated during the academic year) failure or improper performance of duties of a student with previous disciplinary actions.

The decision stemmed from two court rulings and information received from the Dean of the Extra-Mural Faculty Mr. Murashka.

According to the Belarusian Code of Education, students may be subjected to the following disciplinary measures: redirection, reprimand and expulsion.

The right to choose a disciplinary action belongs to the head of the educational institution. When choosing a disciplinary measure he or she should consider the severity of the disciplinary offense, causes and circumstances under which it was committed, as well as the previous behavior of the student.

During the trial of April 17, Andrei received only a reprimand. On May 6, when mass arrests ahead of the Ice Hockey World Championship began, the Court of Homel’s Chyhunachny district found the activist guilty of disorderly conduct and disobeying police, sending him to prison for 10 days. This decision will be appealed in court.

Besides the fact that the university management failed to wait for the results of the appealing procedure, Tsianiuta was not invited for a conversation or given an opportunity to protect his rights through the union of students.

“It is a form of pressure on me. The Skaryna University, whose rector is a protege of Lukashenks, has long established itself as a “pocket” university, which expels students for public activities. For example, a Young Front activist Stanislau Bula was expelled not so long ago for an active civic position. A high-profile case was the expulsion of Dzmitry Zhaleznichenka,” says the Young Front co-chair.