Ministry of Education gave final refusal to Tatsyana Shaputska

The first deputy minister of education at last replied to Tatsyana Shaputska, spokesperson for the Young Front, expelled from the Law Faculty of Belarusian State Department for her participation in the Eastern Partnership civil forum.

“All actions comply with the requirements of the law. There are no legal grounds to withdraw the order on your expulsion from the list of second year students of the Law Faculty,” says the official reply of Alyaksandr Zhuk dated January 28.

The deputy minister reminds Tatsyana Shaputska the history of acceptance to and expulsion from the university.

“In 2008, a sanction (reprimand) was imposed on you for violation of items 3.1.4 and 3.1.5 of the Internal Regulations of Belarusian State University order #L493 of 12.12.2008).

In 2009, you missed classed from November 16 to November 18 without reasonable excuse, which is confirmed by your explanatory letter. You violated the Regulation of issuing written permissions to send citizens of Belarus, students of Belarusian education establishments, for studying abroad or taking part in sporting, cultural and other events during an academic year, adopted by decree #125 of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus on 27.12.2005.

Fulfilling academic requirements, academic programme and good academic performance by a student do not relieve his or her from fulfilling other obligations, violation of which can lead to imposing disciplinary sanctions,” the reply says.

Alyaksandr Zhuk concludes: “All actions comply with the law. There are no legal grounds for cancelling the order on your expulsion from the list of second-year students of the Law Faculty.”

Tatsyana Shaputska didn’t have a hope for good news. That’s why the Young Front addressed ministers of education of EU countries asking to help the girl to get distance education abroad. The main thing in Belarus is not good academic performance, but fulfilling instructions of officials.

On January 28, Tatsyana Shaputska was called to the BSU rector (the official replied was signed on that date) to take her academic record.

We remind that Tatsyana Shaputska was expelled from the university she had taken part in the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in Brussels on November 16–17. Despite of the addresses of European diplomats to Belarusian authorities, it was impossible to resolve the situation in favour of the student, who was accused of absence from studies. Even the promise of the chairman of the Belarusian Trade Union Federation Leanid Kozik to stage the picket in support of Shaputska hadn’t helped, though later he refused to keep to his promise.

Tatsyana Shaputska represented the Belarusian civil society at the Eastern Partnership Forum in Brussels. She met with the leadership of European countries and the EU, including Carl Bildt, the Foreign Minister of Sweden, holding EU presidency, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy. During the forum, when reports about the threat of the activist’s expulsion appeared, Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Carl Bildt, as well as other high-ranking participants of the Forum assured participants of the event that they would follow the developments concerning Tatsyana Shaputska.

In the photo: Tatsyana Shaputska, Carl Bildt, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner