Svetlahorsk Activist: People Write - Alena, We Support You

Residents ask the human rights activist to defend their interests.

Unknown provocateurs are slandering human rights activist Alena Masliukova, posting false information about her at stops in Svetlahorsk.

In August, leaflets with the following text were posted at bus stops in Svetlahorsk: "Alena Masliukova from Svetlahorsk considers herself a human rights defender and dreams of moving to the European Union. She uses the residents of the city to oppose the authorities and obtain the status of a political prisoner or political asylum in the West. She doesn't solve your problems! She takes care of her issues!", - gomel.today writes.

Alena Masliukova, a human rights activist from Viasna, had previously worked at school as a history teacher and was fired for her viewpoint. Now she opposes the launch of the cellulose plant in Svetlahorsk.

"I saw this leaflet on August 18, when we, as usual, came to take part in a weekly protest against the plant in the central square. The leaflet was brought in by my former colleague. We read and laughed. Then she decided to show it to her daughter-in-law, and she said that her student had seen them before. I went to see him, and he said to me: "I've personally ripped off four such leaflets".

On August 22, Alena Masliukova wrote a statement to the police asking them to establish who makes and distributes such materials. The police were skeptical about her statement, the human rights activist said.

One version of why such leaflets could have appeared in Svetlahorsk is that her parliamentary ambitions were discussed on the Internet, Alena Masliukova says. "They write, Alena, go ahead and we will support you. But I am a human rights activist, and I participate in election monitoring, so I can't do it".

Alena Masliukova says she is not offended by such attention. "People write to me that it's already a success if someone has decided to turn to you in Belarusian. No one can know what's in another person's head. As my husband says: "My radiation is more precious to me than their bananas."