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Zmitser Bandarenka: Perhaps the Death of the Guy in Pechy to Stir Belarusians into Action

Zmitser Bandarenka: Perhaps the Death of the Guy in Pechy to Stir Belarusians into Action
Photo by dw.de

The law should govern the law but not a collective farm Fuhrer.

Hazing in the Belarusian army is an isolated case or a trend? Who should be punished for the terrible crime that occurred in the military unit in Pechy? How should the Belarusians react to this? Coordinator of the European Belarus campaign Zmitser Bandarenka answered questions of Charter97.org.

- You served in the Soviet Army where hazing appeared as a phenomenon. Tell us, did you faced something similar to the tragedy in Pechy?

- Of course, there was hazing in the Soviet Army. Everything depended on specific units. The level of cruelty depended on it. At the same time, it can be noted that hazing and association of fellow-countrymen (there were a lot of servicemen from Central Asia and the Caucasus in the Soviet Army who mentally differed from European soldiers) ruined not only the Soviet Army which showed its ineffectiveness in Afghanistan, but one can say , that these phenomena contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union itself. After all, the army was huge, and cases of hazing and interethnic conflicts led to numerous human casualties: suicides, the death of soldiers in military exercises, deaths due to disorder.

I served in the Special Forces brigade. We had a small "training ground" for 40 people; I was a cadet for six months. The training was tough, but there were no direct bullying, probably because sergeants of military intelligence were trained there. I served after the institute, hazing did not concern me personally, but it certainly was in battalions.

- The Ministry of Defense serves the death of a soldier in Pechy as an isolated case. Is this true or hazing in the Belarusian army is a trend?

- Armies exist in democratic states, and there are also excesses. When the state is authoritarian but a dictatorial one, such places as the army and prison bear an additional imprint of totalitarianism which comes from the leadership of the state.

It can also be noted that Lukashenka himself worked as an employee of a colony and it is clear that he built a model of the state in view of his work experience. And the most important thing for a dictator in the state system is the humiliation of the subordinate whoever he is. Unfortunately, both prisons and the army practice lousy attitude to people.

When in 2010 presidential candidates and members of their staff were arrested, many of them were subjected to inhuman tortures and pressure. Special tests were faced by the family of Andrei Sannikov who won elections in Minsk and took the second round. Millions of Belarusians voted for him. Lukashenka was forced to release Sannikov and other political prisoners being under the pressure of the international community, but the Belarusians mostly did not fight for their liberation. If the society did not fight for its leader, millions of Belarusians voted for, did not protect other presidential candidates, this society condemned itself to the danger of falling under inhuman persecution and pressure. If people do not want to protect their leaders, then their life and freedom are worthless.

- We have already witnessed the way the authorities find "scapegoats". We see that this time sergeants and warrant officers are scapegoats. But who should be really punished for this incident?

- All guilty persons including sergeants and warrant officers should be held liable if their guilt appears. Officers of a middle rank, the commander of the unit should face responsibility. The Minister of Defense must resign, since this is not an isolated case, it has already become a system.

I have already said that this system is of a dictatorial character, and we know that the fish always rots from the head. However, I do not believe that changes can occur without pressure from below.

- You mentioned the pressure from below. Thanks to independent media, this incident was widely covered. The Belarusians reacted actively to this event on social networks, a petition demanding resignation of minister Raukou collected a huge number of signatures, the Barysau residents are preparing a picket with a demand to get to the bottom of the issue. It can be seen that Belarusians are very concerned about the incident...

- Indeed, the horrifying facts are revealed. It should not be so that the mother of the deceased was going to take a loan to pay money to these scums to prevent her son from beating.

It is necessary to protest, to defend the dignity and the right to a normal life. I do not believe in signatures demanding resignation. It's better than nothing. The Belarusians have an opportunity to protect their children, an opportunity to protect their right to be citizens of a European country, the right to live in safety by participating in the March of Angry Belarusians 2.0 on October 21; the March leaders of the Belarusian National Congress call for.

I'd like to note that shortly before the Maidan in Ukraine, policemen raped a girl in a village. The public reaction to the police lawlessness led to a popular uprising in this settlement. The beating of students by the Berkut was the impetus for the the European Maidan. All Ukrainians say that it pushed them to take decisive measures. Perhaps the death of this guy will become an impetus for the Belarusians to protect themselves and their families, not to be just bonded cattle, but citizens and people.

The scale of bullying of the siloviki, the dictatorial vertical over the people is simply enormous. And I'd like to address officials and the siloviki: you know that sooner or later you'll become victims and the system gives up on you. All the prisons will be filled with security forces, Lukashenka officials and directors who will be subjected to the same attitude they treated other people. This infernal spiral should be broken, new rules in accordance with European standards should be set.

It will be recalled that on October 3, 21 year-old Pinsk native Aliaksandr Korzhyk drafted less than six months ago was found hanged in the basement of one of the buildings in the military unit near Barysau. On October 5 the investigation called suicide as an initial version of the tragedy. Parents and friends of the deceased categorically do not believe in this version.

On October 10 the investigation informed about the initiation of a criminal case under Part 3 of Art. 443 of the Criminal Code (violation of the code of regulation between servicemen in the absence of subordination relations which entailed grave consequences).

By the way, this is the second tragedy for the year in Barysau. On March 31 another guy, Artsyem Bastsyuk was found hanged. The Investigative Committee terminated the criminal case initiated on the death of Bastsyuk.

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