Franak Vyachorka: “I left the army as a winner”

Only after 15 months of military service it was admitted by the authorities that the youth leader was drafted into the army unlawfully.

On April 14, a political soldier, candidate to the local council Franak Vyachorka was recognized not fit for the military service. The youth activist told Radio Svaboda about the reasons for demobilization and his plans.

- Did you expect mobilization? Did you expect this to happen today (April 14) or did it come as a surprise?

- I have been insisting on medical examination for 15 months of my service, and finally I managed to prove that calling me into the army for unlawful. I had a medical examination in Minsk in March. It was confirmed I had problems with the heart that I said yet last January. I spent the last month in hospital waiting for a final conclusion of the medical board. As it was planned, I retired from the Armed forces today.

- In fact, it was confirmed that you don’t fit for military service, wasn’t it?

- It was confirmed earlier, but today all necessary documents were prepared. I was to have left the military unit in the morning, but Alyaksandr Lukashenka arrived in Mozyr and the command apparently feared to let me in the town when the head of state was there.

- What plans do you have? Will you go on running in the local council elections?

- Surely. I am going to Minsk today to register in the military enlistment office and then return to Mozyr. I have a meeting with the voters tomorrow and a meeting with my agent professor Ivan Nikitchanka. I am going to carry out the electoral campaign. Ti is a very productive campaign. I feel strong support of Mozyr dwellers. I wouldn’t doubt my victory if the elections were free and transparent. I left the army as a winner. I proved that I was right and brought some changes in the army. In my view, translation the army regulations into Belarusian is a result of my work, a result of scandals connected with giving orders in Belarusian. I was a soldiers’ lawyer in the army, I helped soldiers to protect their rights. Many soldiers in the army are just operating personnel. They are exploited. I helped soldiers to demand the command to observing the rights.

- You have spent 15 months in the army. Have these 15 months changed you?

- Certainly, I am not the person that I used to be. But my principles remain the same. I haven’t changed my attitude toward the army. I think it should be reformed completely. Belarus needs a professional army. I will struggle to release other political soldiers who continue serving. They are Andrei Tsyanyuta, Yauheny Skrabets, Ales Krauchenya. I think they were drafted unlawfully, so they should be released.

We remind that Franak Vyachorka was drafted into the army in spite of medical conclusion saying he didn’t fit for military service.

Handcuffed, the youth leader was guarded to the barracks in Mozyr. Franak Vyachorka protected his lawful right to be a Belarusian soldier: he spoke Belarusian, used Belarusian military terminology. The military command created obstacles for him.

The youth activist was under constant pressure, which increased after he had applied for registration of his initiative group to run in the local council elections.