Independent Journalist Won Argument With Recruiting Station

The Homel military registration and enlistment office wanted to call up Kastus Zhukouski as a “partisan.”

Zakhar Smirnou, deputy head of the mobilization department of the military commissariat in Homel, closed the administrative case against freelance journalist Kastus Zhukouski on charges of failing to appear without good reason to the military enlistment office, Homel Viasna writes.

It became possible only after the freelancer reminded the military of criminal responsibility for obstructing the journalist’s legal professional activity.

“I do not refuse to appear in the military commissariat on summons for military training. Last summer, I spent more than 10 days of my personal unpaid time at the medical examination, and now the people in uniform are trying to organize a second medical examination. Undoubtedly, this fact shows that they use the call up to the “partisans” in order to interfere with my activity in collecting information about real life in our country,” – 44-year-old reserve sergeant Zhukouski wrote to the chief enlistment officer.

We remind that after receiving the summons, the freelancer outlined his vision of the problem to the chief enlistment officer and reminded him that the recruiting office must not be used for exerting pressure on him. The protocol had been drawn up against the journalist under Article 25.8 of the CAO “Non-appearance in the body with carriage of the administrative process,” which, apart from a large fine, provides for an arrest of up to 15 days.

At the last moment, the military came to their senses, stopping the persecution of the journalist in connection with the failure to prove his guilt.