Youth leader Artur Finkevich called up for military service

The leader of Young Belarus received a summons obliging him to visit the military enlistment office for drafting campaign.

As Radio Svaboda reports, Artur Finkevich is abroad now.

Finkevich has two records of conviction for his opposition activity – article 339 part 2 of the Criminal Code of Belarus “Hooliganism” and article 415 “Evasion of serving punishment of restriction of liberty”. As a rule, such persons are not drafted into the army.

Artur Finkevich can become another opposition activist, forcefully called up for military service.

The so called political drafting has been used against youth activists in Belarus.

Zmitser Zhaleznichenka was the first youth activist to be forcefully drafted into the army on January 25, 2008. The oppositionist was expelled from Homel State University two times. He was an excellent student and didn’t miss classes without excuses. His appealed against his first exclusion in September 2007 to court and was restored in university on January 16, but was expelled four days later and drafted into the army.

“Young Front” activists Ivan Shyla and Zmitser Khvesdaruk and “BPF Youth” leader Franak Vyachorka faced the same situation in January 2009. The youth leaders were called up in spite of their health condition.

“Young Front” activist Yauhen Skrabets and Andrei Tsyanyuta were forcefully drafted into the army in September 2009.