The second application of the Ministry of Education of Belarus to accede to the EHEA is indicative of the interest of the Belarusian party, academic community, and majority of the Belarusian general public in integration of this country’s higher education system in the European Higher Education Area.
Recognizing certain achievements of the Belarusian higher education system concerning structural reforms and certain progress in implementation of some Bologna instruments, unfortunately, we are compelled to state absence of any positive changes in the legislation and implementation practice of the fundamental European academic values. Since 2011 the level of institutional autonomy, public participation in the higher education system governance or ensuring academic freedom of the academic staff and students has not increased. In some cases one has to speak about deterioration of the situation and increased academic repressions in the Belarusian higher education institutions.
The Independent Bologna Committee has launched a campaign to record persecution facts of the academic staff of the Belarusian higher education institutions. The repressions became massive in Grodno. The victims of the so called “Shapiro’s list” have been described pursuant to the standard of Scholars at Risk international network.
Semyon Shapiro – former governor of the Grodno region, publicly stated there is a certain list of professors of the University of Grodno, which should be dismissed because of their political unreliability. Journalists called it ” Shapiro list”.
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Ales Astrouski
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of academic staff for their public opinion, restriction of the right to freely select topics and contents of personal research while preserving ethical norms (social responsibility) as well as restriction of the right to freely disseminate and publish research results.
Institution: Grodno State Medical University
Incident date: 2007 – June 2014.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Ales Astrouski is a Belarusian morphologist, doctor of medical sciences (1993), professor (1994)
On 13 November 2013 Ales Astrouski’s interview with the journalist Volha Korsun was published on Belaruski Partyzan (Belarusian Partisan) web site: “Astrouski: Belarusian Nationalism Is a Sacred Cause for Belarusians” (please refer to Record 1). Several days upon the publication on the Internet, Ales Astrouski was summoned by the medical university’s chancellor professor Viktar Sniazhytski, doctor of medical sciences. Ales Astrouskidescribes the further events as follows: “… I gave an interview to Belaruski Partyzan in which I criticised the authorities. Then I was summoned by the chancellor Mr Sniazhytski who requested me to submit a resignation application voluntarily. I refused and left his office”.
At the beginning of June 2014, the professor of Grodno State Medical University ersity was dismissed after 34 years of work although he had two and a half years until retirement. According to the explanation he had not passed the competitive selection to fill in a professor’s position. Astrouski had been the only lecturer of Grodno State Medical University who had delivered his lectures in Belarusian.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom:
Belarusian expert: For a long time, the professor, doctor of medical sciences, candidate of biological sciences was discriminated against by the administration of Grodno State Medical University. Discrimination manifested by a disciplinary action for participation in a conference, for unsuccessful participation in competitive selection for the position of a department head while having higher qualification than other applicants, finally by threats to dismiss for the interview given to the Internet publication. Ales Astrouski’s situation is obvious infringement on academic freedom manifested by politicisation of education together with employment ban. For interest in research, creative work and discussion of results at a TACIS research conference not permitted, not approved by and not corresponding to the administration’s expectations, Ales Astrouski was punished with an administrative punishment back in 2007. Non-selection during competitive selection was not related to violations of the employment law or incompetence in the case but demonstrated persecution on ideological and political grounds in the form of fighting public activities. It is characteristic that in this case the university administration had no formal grounds for persecution, e.g. certain cases of the employment law violation, let alone low quality of research or teaching. Non-selection during competitive selection was used as a dismissal mechanism for publication of materials on the Internet which had not been approved by the administration and authorities, for the contents of the publications not approved by the censors (ideological bodies).
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: There is two stage of this story – in the beginning, since 2007 it looks like obstacles in free dissemination of the research, and later as dismissal based on the ideological reason. Ales Astrouski was dismissed because cannot pass the competition, and authority of the Hrodno Medical University seems to use the same tool – use the non-faculty members of Academic Council to punish whose, who do not fit the ideological requirements of current political regime. The main reason for expulsion was interview for Internet site, which is also could be considered as violation of freedom of speech.
Sources:
Ales Astrouski’s interview;
http://nashaziamlia.org/2007/05/16/679/
http://harodniaspring.org/be/news/4932″/4932
http://charter97.org/be/news/2014/7/2/105449/
Record 1 http://www.belaruspartisan.org/bel/politic/247614/”/247614/
Record 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqr5JG9gREE
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Tatsiana Kasataya
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Ideological restriction of the right to study at a postgraduate research programme.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
Incident data: autumn of 2011.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Tatsiana Kasataya, MA in history, postgraduate research student of the department of Slavic countries, history faculty, Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno where she was researching the subject of activities of evangelical Christian Baptists in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1941-1991 (research supervisor V. M. Charapitsa).
Job prior to dismissal: Grodno History and Archaeology Museum, position: junior researcher.
In 2011 Tatsiana Kasataya was dismissed from her job and expelled from the university. The formal reason for dismissal was expiration of her contract; the reason for expulsion was failure to pass academic assessment.
The main reason for dismissal and expulsion from the university was the fact that in 2010 Tatsiana Kasataya had participated in the Belarusian presidential election campaign. While a member of an initiative campaign group, she had gathered signatures for Uladzimir Niakliayeu’s nomination. The second reason was that Tatsiana Kasatayahad refused to resign from her position and withdraw from the university voluntarily and thus had resisted the employer’s as well as the university administration’s administrative pressure.
Her research supervisor Valery Charapitsa and Edmund Yarmusik, dean of the history faculty, contributed to her expulsion from the university, they suggested her withdrawing from the university “voluntarily”.
As a result, Tatsiana was expelled from the university in spite of attempts by some academic staff to address the situation for her benefit. Thus, the members of the academic staff of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno Ina Sorkina, Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava, and Sviatlana Silava came to the defence of the postgraduate student in disfavour raising the issue at a sitting of the faculty council which took place in between her academic assessment and expulsion, however the problem was not resolved favourably.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Refusal to renew Tatsiana Kasataya’s employment agreement upon its expiry at her place of employment as well as ungrounded expulsion of Tatsiana Kasataya who submitted the necessary evidence of her research plan completion from the postgraduate research programme demonstrate biased attitude of the research supervisor professor Valery Charapitsa and an unfair resolution of the faculty council. Tatsiana Kasataya’s expulsion was not grounded on her failure to complete the study plan of the postgraduate research programme approved by the department but demonstrated persecution for participation in the legal election campaign of an opposition politician.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: The situation of the illegal expulsion from the chair seems to directly connected with her civil rights activity. Main violation is the procedure of her evaluation, where method of oral history she used for research project wasn’t considered as scientific one, and all her activity as PhD student, despite of number of positive references, weren’t accept positively. The academic rights violation here could be described as violation of the rights to freely choice of method of research, and also obstacle in the academic career, based on the political pressure outside of the university, presumably from Belarus secret service (KGB).
Sources:
http://www.belaruspartisan.org/life/265576
http://www.t-styl.info/by/106/politics/6366
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Ihar Kuzminich
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of academic staff for their public position and restriction of the freedom to publish and disseminate research results.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
Incident date: from the spring of 2012 until the spring of 2013.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description:
Ihar Kuzminich graduated from the law faculty of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno in 1994. In 1994-1997 he studied in the postgraduate research programme of the theory and history of state and law department. Upon graduating from the programme, he was employed as a lecturer at the department. He delivered lectures in his subjects in Belarusian. I. Kuzminich published more than 30 research papers as well as research and methodology papers. He was invited to train lecturers and law students to other countries several times. Since 1999 he was the head of the Innovation Centre of Research Information, head of the educational legal clinic and of the legal clinic at the law faculty. Until 2012, he was the deputy dean in practical training and career guidance. In March 2013 he resign in protest at persecution of the academic staff by the university administration for their public position and their right to express their opinion freely.
Approximately in the early June 2012 Ihar Kuzminich together with the dean of the law faculty were summoned by the chancellor urgently. The chancellor professor Jauhen Rouba, two vice chancellors, vice chancellor for ideology associate professor Sviatlana Ahiyavets, candidate of legal sciences, and vice chancellor for academic affairsYury Bialykh, candidate of physics and mathematics, as well as the dean of the law faculty professor Mikalai Silchanka, doctor of legal sciences, participated in the meeting. The agenda of the meeting included discussion of a printout of two fairy tales written and posted by Ihar Kuzminich on his blog concerning the Pahonia coat of arms Хто такі белы рыцар на белым кані з белым мячом (Who is the White Knight with the White Sword on the White Horse), the white-red-white flag Як узнік беларускі сцяг (Origins of the Belarusian Flag) as well as a note concerning Naša Niva newspaper. At the meeting the chancellor Jauhen Rouba and the vice chancellor for ideology Sviatlana Ahiyavets who played the leading role attempted to find out whether Ihar Kuzminich was the author of the three works and whether he felt any shame for posting those materials in his name on the Internet. Ihar Kuzminich explained that he was the author of the works actually and felt no shame for them especially while the materials as well as others were popular to a certain degree on the Internet. At the end of the meeting the chancellorJauhen Rouba informed that serious measures were to be taken in relation to Ihar Kuzminich. Upon the meetingIhar Kuzminich was removed from the office of the deputy dean as of the beginning of the following month.
There were no reasons to remove him from the office. In all the areas of which Ihar Kuzminich was in charge the law faculty had one of the best results. The head of the legal office of Yanka Kupala State University of GrodnoAliaksandr Vasilenka stated directly that Ihar Kuzminich was removed for his public opnion demonstrated by publishing the materials on the Internet.
The following month upon the meeting at the chancellor’s office (July 2012) Ihar Kuzminich’s salary was cut more than two times.
In September 2012 the dean of the law faculty professor Mikalai Silchanka, doctor of legal sciences, summonedIhar Kuzminich for a meeting and suggested him quitting. When Ihar Kuzminich refused pressure was exerted on him. The meetings and pressured peaked during the Belarusian presidential election campaign.
As a result, Ihar Kuzminich decided to resign in protest at the pressure to which academic staff were exposed atYanka Kupala State University of Grodno. More information is available from the open letter to S. B. Shapira, Ihar Kuzminich’s interview, articles, and Internet materials.
In Ihar Kuzminich’s opinion, the organisers of the pressure campaign concerning the academic staff of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno are unknown yet and are governmental officials probably. However, those who carried out the actions are well-known: chancellor Jauhen Rouba and vice chancellor for ideology Sviatlana Ahiyavets.
Ihar Kuzminich’s protest was supported by representatives of Belarusian human rights organisations as well as the European politicians. In the spring of 2013 the MEP Marek Migalski addressed chancellors of Polish public and private universities to help Ihar Kuzminich as well as other researchers persecuted by the Belarusian authorities.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom:
Belarusian expert: The repression mechanism has been detailed by Ihar Kuzminich himself. The following tools were used: salary reduction, pressure exerted on other academic staff, suggestions to resign of his own free will and threats to dismiss on the grounds of some regulations etc. Ihar Kuzminich’s situation is obvious infringement on academic freedom demonstrated by politicisation of the field of education together with employment ban. Hindrances of professional activities in connection to the situation were not related to violations of the employment law or insignificant qualification but represent persecution due to ideological and political reasons as fight against civic activities. It is characteristic that in the case the university administration had no formal reasons to persecute, e.g. some cases of employment law violations.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: The situation of moral pressure on the lecturer because of his writings in Internet is, clearly, violation of freedom of speech and consciousness. All tools were applied to Ihar Kuzminich are intended to pressure him resign: salary reduction, threat to dismissal on the grounds of legal regulations, etc. Because of main reason was clearly defined by the authority itself – publication of novels in Internet – it has to be defined as demonstrative violation of academic rights and freedoms.
Sources:
Ihar Kuzminich’s interviews;
http://ikuzminich.livejournal.com/53958.html
http://ikuzminich.livejournal.com/54855.html
Record 1 http://ikuzminich.livejournal.com/49316.html
Record 2 http://ikuzminich.livejournal.com/50040.html
Record 3 http://ikuzminich.livejournal.com/50970.html
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Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of academic staff for their public opinion and demonstration of solidarity with the colleagues oppressed for their research activities which results did not correspond to the administration’s expectations as well as for their solidarity with other colleagues. Restriction of the right to freely express opinions concerning an educational institution or the educational systems and of the right to participate in the management of a higher educational institution.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
Incident date: 2011 – 29/12/2014.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description:
Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava, a Belarusian historian and a literary figure, doctor of historical sciences(2000). Since 1999 a professor of the Belarusian history department, Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. Since 2013 a professor of the Belarusian history, archaeology, and special historical subjects, Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, and the tourism studies and recreation department, Bialystok Technology Academy. Full member of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Russian Federation (2005), member of the International Association of Belarusian Studies, of the tourism coordination council of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee.
In the autumn of 2013 the administration of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno began to subject to pressure the academic staff who had prepared the second edition of Hrodnaznaŭstva (Grodno Studies) (http://new.t-sty
In the spring of 2013 Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava began to actively defend the illegally dismissed professor Viachaslau Shved, doctor of historical sciences. In the media she denounced the voting procedure which had been violated in her opinion.
In the winter of 2014 the associate professor Ina Sorkina, candidate of historical sciences, was dismissed illegally. Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava began to actively defend Ina Sorkina and attempted to challenge the selection procedure violations as a result of which Ina Sorkina had been on unequal terms with other candidates concerning competition to fill in an associate professor vacancy by addresses in the media and an address to the head of the Supreme Certification Commission.
As a result, when her employment agreement expired it was not renewed with the professor Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava, doctor of historical sciences, due to the formal statement that she was not fully competent for the position, and the reason for that was a low number of publications.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian experts: Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava’s public opinion, her active support of her university colleagues who had been exerted illegal pressure upon resulted in a conflict with the university administration. The faculty and university administration did not create special hindrances for the famous researcher’s work and activities. At the same time, her employment agreement was not renewed when it expired. The situation is infringement on the academic freedom demonstrated by politicisation of the field of education together with employment ban. Non-renewal of the agreement with the professor Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava, doctor of historical sciences, was revenge for the professor’s public opinion, opposition to her civic activities, addresses in the media, and addresses to the superior institutions, demonstration of public solidarity with colleagues, authors of research who were persecuted for research and publication of research results not corresponding to the administration’s expectations as well as who were persecuted for solidarity with their colleagues, for requests to stop the administration’s abuse of power when selecting associate professors and professors, for following selection procedures.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy:
This is violation of right to work of faculty members, without reason, expulsion from the workplace as punishment for solidarity with illegally fired colleagues. The main activity of Kul-Sialverstava was addresses to public opinion, organization of the public campaign to support faculty members who were persecuted for publication abroad “without permission”.
Special shame is the justification of expulsion – insufficient publication activity, in the situation of the four books published in five years. This is clear evidence that official explanation is just formal reason to prosecute faculty member for action of solidarity.
Sources:
About her own dismissal http://www.t-styl.info/by/117/politics/13517/
http://news.tut.by/society/428065.html
http://www.t-styl.info/by/117/politics/13517/
http://kamunikat.org/5201.html?pubid=30959
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Aliaksandr Lialikau
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Ideological restriction of the right to educational work.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
Incident date: December 2010.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Aliaksandr Lialikau is an associate professor of the department of theory of functions, functional analysis, and applied mathematics of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
For participation in the unsanctioned meeting and march in Minsk on the presidential election day of 19 December 2010, the officers of the State Security Committee (KGB) began to exert pressure upon him.
Upon numerous interrogations, following the information collected by the KGB, Aliaksandr Lialikau was invited for a meeting to the university administration where he was suggested to resign upon mutual consent of the parties because he had participated in an unsanctioned protest in Minsk. Aliaksandr Lialikau’s overall depression due to pressure by the KGB resulted in his decision to resign voluntarily.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: In Aliaksandr Lialikau’s case we have an example of pressure exerted upon a lecturer for his public opinion.Aliaksandr Lialikau had demonstrated his position by participating in a rally and march on the election day in 2010. It is of little importance whether the actions were legal or not. It is significant that Aliaksandr Lialikau’sresignation was related neither to his violations of the employment law nor to his qualification or achievements in the field of research, education or upbringing but reflected persecution for participation in the mass event of 19 December 2010 not sanctioned by the authorities.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: This case is the violation of right for free assembly and demonstration. Indeed, outside of working place faculty member has participated in the so called ‘unsanctioned’ demonstration and was under the pressure of KGB, who threatened him during interrogation. Although main violator here is a precisely secret service’ officials, KGB, but the authority has violated academic freedom, pressure Aliaksandr to fired at his own wish.
Sources:
http://nashaziamlia.org/2011/02/14/4032/
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Volha Sabaleuskaya
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of the academic staff for their public opinion and demonstration of solidarity with the colleagues which were exerted pressure upon for their research activities which results did not correspond to the administration’s expectations. Restriction of the right of professional and academic security. Restriction of the right to freely express their opinion concerning their higher educational institution.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
Incident date: 2008 – June 2013.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Volha Sabaleuskaya, candidate of cultural studies, associate professor of the department of cultural studies of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, researcher of Jewish studies, author of two monographs and more than 80 articles in the history of the Jews who resided in the Pale of Settlement of the Russian Empire.
In 2008, together with other colleagues at the university, Volha Sabaleuskaya was one of the organisers of boycott of the research conference from which the local authorities had excluded the famous historians professorAles Krautsevich, doctor of historical sciences, and professor Ales Smalianchuk, doctor of historical sciences. Together with her colleagues, Volha Sabaleuskaya informed the press about the incident broadly and addressed the conference participants not to participate in the event if Ales Krautsevich and Ales Smalianchuk could not take the floor (http://3dway.org
Following the conference boycott, she was summoned by the head of the department of cultural studiesViktar Karpinski. The head of the department was indignant because of, in his opinion, Volha Sabaleuskaya’s irresponsible behaviour and suggested revoking her signature. Later on, she was summoned by the chancellor from her lectures abruptly. The chancellor Jauhen Rouba demanded whether Volha Sabaleuskayasupported Ales Smalianchuk’s views. When the chancellor received the answer that she supported the historians, he stated that she could not belong at a public university and could work at a private institution only.
In 2011 pressure was exerted for participation in collection of signatures during the 2010 election, which resulted in failure to pass academic assessment by the postgraduate research student Tatsiana Kasataya who was researching the subject of activities of evangelical Christian Baptists in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic in1941-1991 (the research supervisor was the head of the department of Slavic countries, professor V. M. Charapitsa, doctor of historical sciences). Volha Sabaleuskaya initiated an address to the faculty council to support Tatsiana Kasataya.
In the autumn of 2013 the administration of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno began to exert pressure on the academic staff who had prepared the second edition of Hrodnaznaŭstva (Grodno Studies) teaching aids(http://new.t-sty
As a result, the university administration began to create hindrances for her research abroad. Thus, Volha Sabaleuskaya received money from a Lithuanian institution to carry out research on her research subject. In spite of the fact that Volha Sabaleuskaya prepared all the necessary papers and submitted them to the university administration, the administration began to artificially postpone their decision. As a result, the time to submit the documents passed, and Volha Sabaleuskaya lost the chance to carry out her research.
When Volha Sabaleuskaya understood that she had not been permitted to go abroad to carry out research on her research subject, she asked for a vacation without pay to use the time for research. Each time the administration refused to provide it.
To find out the reasons for limitation of research opportunities, Volha Sabaleuskaya attempted to arrange an appointment with the chancellor for several times. However, she was rejected a meeting each time.
According to Volha Sabaleuskaya, she felt ashamed what the university was doing to the researchers. Although she had almost three years until expiration of her contract, she resigned upon mutual consent of the parties.
In Volha Sabaleuskaya’s opinion the chancellor as well as the dean and the head of the department were just doers and pawns in the game of more influential powers.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Volha Sabaleuskaya’s public opinion, active participation in support of her colleagues at the university who were exerted illegal pressure upon resulted in a conflict with the university administration. The faculty and university administration began to create illegal hindrances for Volha Sabaleuskaya’s research. Because of unacceptable conditions in which it was impossible to carry out research, Volha Sabaleuskaya had to resign of her own free will. The situation is an infringement on academic freedom manifested by politicisation of education together with employment ban. Hindrances for Volha Sabaleuskaya to carry out her professional duties manifested persecution for her public opinion in the form of fighting her public activities, for an address to the media and demonstration of public solidarity with her colleagues, authors of the research, persecuted for research and publication of research results not corresponding to the administration’s expectations, for addresses to the chancellor and the faculty council with legal requests to terminate illegal persecution of academic staff and terminate exerting pressure upon postgraduate research students for their public opinion or political activities.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: It is really clear from the case, that the most serious violation here is the intervention of so called ‘deputy on Ideology of the city council of Grodno, which is the direct violation of autonomy of the University. No one has a right to intervene and correct the agenda of the international conference, what was rightly understood as attack on academic freedom. Secondly, the reaction on the collective solidarity with other colleagues was understood as demonstration of non- loyalty to the government (see opinion of councillor Rouba devoted to the difference between private and state university). It is indicative attempt for authoritarian countries like Russia or Belarus to amalgamate state officials with faculty members. Indeed, on of the important university values is diversity, including diversity of the political views of the faculty members. In contrary with state officials, faculty members have right to be opponent, independent critiques of current political regime, and, of course, to represent point of views, different from the official ones. Finally, the artificially created obstacles in cooperation with international universities are the violation of academic rights for movement and access to information.
Sources:
Volha Sabaleuskaya’s interview.
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Henadzi Semianchuk
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of academic staff for their public opinion and restriction of the right of professional activities beyond the principal place of employment, restriction of the right of personal and professional advancement.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
Incident date: 27.01.2015.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Henadzi Semianchuk is a Belarusian archaeologist, historian, candidate of historical sciences(1993), associate professor. In 1990-91 he was employed with the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. He was employed with Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno since 1991, was an associate professor of the Belarusian culture department since 1994. In 1998 he delivered lectures at A. Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
Approximately in 2013 when the academic staff of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno were exerted pressure upon the academic staff who had stable connections with foreign (mostly Polish) higher educational institutions and/or delivered lectures beyond their principal place of employment at Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno were summoned by the university administration. Henadzi Semianchuk was among the academic staff. He was compelled to provide written explanations of the place of his employment abroad.
At the beginning of 2015 Henadzi Semianchuk was dismissed without explaining the reasons. He describes his dismissal as follows: “On 17 December I was warned that my employment would terminate on 27 January 2015. Everything was legal, the dismissal was based on clause 2, article 36 of the Employment Code, i.e. expiration of the employment agreement. Why it happened? We will find out when we will be explained honestly or when archives will be opened. I am not the first one of those dismissed. Before me, Andrei Charniakevich, Ina Sorkina, Viachaslau Shved and, now, Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava and others have been dismissed. I am not surprised, as the dismissed Siarhei Snop said, it is just “continuation of Shapira’s list”. And it is It is beneath my dignity to inquire about the details closely… Certainly, “Shapira’s list” is a metaphor but every metaphor characterises a phenomenon. During Siamen Shapira’s times dismissals of historians from Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno ty began, the “governor” himself said that he was briefed and submitted reports concerning all the processes at the university – this is the reason for the “list” metaphor.
Students supported Henadzi Semianchuk actively. They drew up an address and were going to collect signatures and send it to the Ministry of Education. However, the fate of the document and of the students is unknown.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Henadzi Semianchuk’s public opinion concerning Belarusian as well as his foreign contacts and work at a foreign higher educational institution were the reasons for pressure exerted upon him and requests to explain what he did abroad and where. Although there were no hindrances for him to perform his duties prior to his contract expiration, termination of his contract should be considered as assessment of Henadzi Semianchuk’s public opinion and foreign contacts. The decision not to renew his contract was not related to his violation of the employment law or incompetence but expressed persecution for the lecturer’s public opinion in the form of fighting his public activities as well as for delivering lectures beyond the principal place of employment without the university’s permission and for cooperation with foreign higher educational institutions, research centres not authorised by the university administration.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: Termination of the contract happened immediately after his active work abroad, mainly in different universities in Poland. Because this decision wasn’t based on the real needs of the university, but rather to xenophobia of current regime in Belarus, and therefore this situation is the violation of academic rights for mobility, as well as cooperation with different educational institutions without fear.
Sources:
http://www.racyja.com/hramadstva/nastupnae-zvalnenne-z-gdu-genadz-se/
http://harodniaspring.org/be/news/5312
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Siarhei Snop
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of academic staff for their public opinion and restriction of the right to freely disseminate and publish research results.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
Incident date: beginning of the summer of 2014.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Siarhei Snop is a candidate of legal sciences, associate professor of the criminal law and criminology department of the law faculty of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
He is the author of 20 research publications, including one monograph and one laboratory manual.
At the beginning of the summer of 2014 Siarhei Snop published his essay New Parallel Reality in Russian, a pamphlet of the existing divergences in the life of Belarusians: the clever and the stupid, the superiors and subordinates as well as cultivation not of the society but of the plebs in Belarus. Soon Siarhei Snop was summoned by the dean of the law faculty, professor Mikalai Silchanka, doctor of legal sciences who inquired whetherSiarhei Snop was the author of the publication and why he wrote it. The university administration requested deletion of his publication from Samvydat (dissident underground press) web page but Siarhei rejected it.
“I believe that the fact that I am a person who does not slam the door without a serious reason played its role. Secondly, they say that one should change one’s place of work and even one’s wife once in every seven years without fail. I have worked for 20 years at the university, so it seems that stars aligned in the case”. For refusal to delete his publication, Siarhei Snop was promised to suffer consequences.
As a result, when the time came to submit documents for his employment agreement renewal the associate professor of Grodno university Siarhei Snop, a former author of Pahonia newspaper, did not renew the agreement himself.
In Siarhei Snop’s opinion, the university administration and the dean of the law faculty were just performers of the will of the superior bodies, the dean of the law faculty professor Mikalai Silchanka said immediately that it was not his initiative but the initiative of the superior bodies.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Pressure exerted upon the associate professor Siarhei Snop by the dean of the law faculty professor Mikalai Silchanka was related not to his duties arising out of his education, upbringing, and research activities but was related to the materials written by Siarhei Snop during his pastime and posted them on his Internet page. Siarhei Snop’s situation is obvious infringement on academic freedom manifested by politicisation of education together with employment ban. Threats and promises of negative consequences for professional activities concerning the case were not related to violations of the employment law or incompetence but expressed persecution on ideological and political grounds in the form of fighting his public activities. It is characteristic that in the case the university administration had no formal reasons for persecution, e.g. any cases of the employment law violation. Negative consequences were promised for publication of the materials not approved by the administration and authorities on the Internet, for the contents of publications not approved by the censors (ideological bodies).
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: This infringement of academic freedom is based on the same attempt of censorship through the punishment for the texts, published without authority permission. The ideological pressure is based on the ground of his public activities, and ‘discharge on his own will’ is, actually, just the cover for real expulsion from the workplace due the political repressions.
Sources:
Personal interview of Siarhei Snop;
http://www.racyja.com/hramadstva/garadzenski-universitet-pazbaulyaetsts/
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Ina Sorkina
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Persecution of the academic staff for their public opinion and demonstration of solidarity with the colleagues which were exerted pressure upon for their research activities which results did not correspond to the administration’s expectations.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
Incident date: 2008 – winter of 2014.
Reporting date: January 2014.
Description: Ina Sorkina born in 1971. Since 1996 through January 2014 she was employed with the Belarusian history department of the university. Ina Sorkina researches the history of Belarusian boroughs, historical urban studies, history of Belarusian Jews. She is the author of several dozens of articles published in different domestic and foreign research collections and journals, of the monograph Мястэчкі Беларусі ў канцы XVIII — першай палове ХІХ ст. (Belarusian boroughs in the late 18th – first half of the 19th centuries) (Vilnius: EHU, 2010.). She delivers lectures on the history of the Belarusian national movement, historical urban studies in Belarus.
Back in 2008 Ina Sorkina was one of the organisers of boycott of the research conference from which the local authorities had excluded the famous historians professor Ales Krautsevich, doctor of historical sciences, and professor Ales Smalianchuk, doctor of historical sciences. Together with her colleagues, Ina Sorkina informed the press about the incident and addressed the conference participants, via her personal contacts, not to participate in the event if Ales Krautsevich and Ales Smalianchuk could not take the floor.
Following the conference boycott a sitting of the Belarusian history department took place at which the item of acknowledging Ina Sorkina a destructive person was on the agenda. Two persons voted for it, the other colleagues supported Ina Sorkina. At the same time, the department head stated that she would never work at his department nor at the university.
In 2013 Ina Sorkina began to collect signatures to later attach them to her letter to the Ministry of Education with substantiation of the necessity to reintroduce mandatory teaching of the Belarusian history and geography in Belarusian. Those activities were not left unnoticed by the university administration. The associate professor Edmund Yarmusik, candidate of historical sciences, dean of the history and sociology faculty at which Ina Sorkinawas employed at the time, was informed about undesirability of such activities by Ina Sorkina. However, no actions were taken and no meetings were held with Ina Sorkina concerning the activities of hers.
In the autumn of 2013 the administration of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno began to exert pressure on the academic staff who had prepared the second edition of Hrodnaznaŭstva (Grodno Studies) teaching aids (http://new.t-sty
Upon Andrei Charniakevich’s dismissal Ina Sorkina was one of the initiators to collect money to financially support the illegally dismissed Andrei Charniakevich. Her colleagues informed her that the vice chancellor for ideology Sviatlana Ahiyavets was meeting people to find out who was collecting the money and which of the academic staff provided it. However, no meeting was held with Ina Sorkina herself.
As a result, the university administration organised competitive selection to fill in the office of an associate professor with significant violations placing Ina Sorkina in a disadvantaged position as compared to other applicants, although she had performed better. Following the illegal competitive selection, her disadvantaged position as compared to other applicants Ina Sorkina was dismissed on 29/01/2014 with the official statement “Failure to get selected for the position of an associate professor”. To redress the injustice, Ina Sorkina applied to all levels of the Belarusian judicial system from the court of the Lieninski City District of the city of Grodno to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus. However, she was not reinstated in her previous office.
In Ina Sorkina’s opinion, the main organisers of her illegal dismissal were the chancellor of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno Jauhen Rouba, the following chancellor associate professor Andrei Karol, candidate of pedagogical sciences, as well as the vice chancellor for ideology of the same university associate professorSviatlana Ahiyavets, candidate of legal sciences. The most active doers were: the vice chancellor for research associate professor Uladzimir Barsukou, doctor of technical sciences, the dean of the history, communications, and tourism faculty professor Aliaksandr Nechukryn, doctor of historical sciences, the deputy dean Tatsiana Puzevich, the deputy dean Anastasiya Zezyulevich, the deputy dean Viktar Belazarovich, the head of the Slavic countries department professor Valery Charapitsa, doctor of historical sciences, the head of the sociology department Natallya Kazlouskaya, the head of the general history department associate professor Maya Martsyon, candidate of historical sciences, Natallya Uleichyk, Tatsiana Badzyukova who were especially active in the faculty council and during court hearings in particular.
The professor Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava, doctor of historical sciences, opposed Ina Sorkina’s illegal dismissal most actively and openly. To read more please follow the link: http://www.t-sty
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Ina Sorkina’s public opinion concerning Belarusian, active defence of her colleagues at the university who were exerted illegal pressure upon, her active civic activities resulted in a conflict with the university administration, with the chancellor Jauhen Rouba and upon his dismissal from the chancellor’s office with the chancellor Andrei Karoland the vice chancellor for ideology Sviatlana Ahiyavets in particular. The faculty and university administration organized illegal competitive selection to fill in the office of an associate professor and placed Ina Sorkina in a disadvantaged position as compared to other selection participants by manipulations. As a result, Ina Sorkina was not selected to the office of an associate professor while having a better standing as compared to other applicants and was dismissed on the grounds. The situation is an infringement on academic freedom manifested by politicisation of education together with employment ban. Hindrances for Ina Sorkina to carry out her professional duties were not related to her violation of the employment law or incompetence but manifested persecution for the lecturer’s public opinion in the form of fighting her public activities and demonstration of public solidarity with her colleagues, authors of the research, persecuted for research and publication of research results not corresponding to the administration’s expectations.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: The violation of academic rights here is the falsification of the data of other competitors during the process of academic selection, which created the situation of unfair competition. All these manipulations are directly connected with the public activity of Ina Sorkina, which wasn’t political par excellence, but just public activity don’t organized by the authority. Participation in public campaign to support other colleagues as well as fight for Belarusian history and geography education is the evidence of violation of the freedom of speech and freedom to study and learn.
Sources:
Ina Sorkina’s defence http://www.t-sty
Ina Sorkina’s defence, Naša Niva, No. 6 (843), 12 February 2014, article Публіцысты замест навукоўцаў (Opinion Journalists instead of Researchers)
Ina Sorkina’s defence http://www.t-sty
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Andrei Charniakevich
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Restriction of the right to freely disseminate and publish research results, restriction of the right to freely select topics and contents of personal research while preserving ethical norms (social responsibility). Restriction of the right of personal and professional advancement. Violation of academic procedures of dismissal (employment).
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno.
Incident date: September 2012 – spring of 2013.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Andrei Charniakevich (born in 1974) is a Belarusian historian, candidate of historical sciences.
Long before the autumn of 2012, Andrei Charniakevich gave an interview to Belsat TV channel concerning the detour road in the Vialikaja Trajeckaja Street. Upon editing the interview seemed to be very harsh and criticised the authorities for an attempt to make a detour road in the historical part of the city, according to Andrei Charniakevich. In August 2012 Andrei Charniakevich was summoned by the chancellor Jauhen Rouba who said that his dismissal was on the agenda because of his interview and materials on Racyja radio. However, the chancellor guaranteed that it would not happen if similar materials did not appear anymore.
On 13 September the academic staff of the university who participated in publication of Hrodnaznaŭstva (Grodno Studies) book had to provide explanations to the officers of the State Security Committee (KGB). The researchers were threatened with dismissal. One of those was the candidate of historical sciences Andrei Charniakevich. The main reproach was, according to the publications, that the book ends in the 1990s, has no information about the current period, it contains the white-red-white flag and Pahonia coat of arms only and that the Belarusian academic staff had taken the liberty to publish their works abroad.
On 14 September Andrei Charniakevich received an SMS message inviting him to come to Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno where he was employed and to read his dismissal order and to collect his employment record book.
In the middle of September the members of the trade union committee of Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno voted against Andrei Charniakevich’s dismissal by a majority of votes but 8 of the same 11 participants of the meeting of the trade union committee vote for Andrei Charniakevich’s dismissal several days later. The official reason was “for systematic violations of discipline at work”. Charniakevich himself was not present at the sitting.
In the December of last year the court of the Lieninski City District of Grodno rejected the historian Andrei Charniakevich’s claim who attempted to reinstate in his position at Yanka Kupala State University of Grodnofrom which he had been dismissed for alleged “violation of disciplines at work”. Andrei Charniakevich and his colleagues have not doubt that the real reason is participation in writing the much talked about Hrodnaznaŭstva book. A massive solidarity campaign began against Andrei Charniakevich’s unfair dismissal: the academic staff ofYanka Kupala State University of Grodno collected money and signatures and the most active of them suffered: Ina Sorkina, Sviatlana Kul-Sialverstava
Public at large participated in support actively: http://nn.by/?c=ar&i=81339&lang=ru
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Talks with the KGB officers concerning Hrodnaznaŭstva preparation and publication abroad. The dismissal procedure with all of its violations and inaccuracies, and public confession by Siamen Shapira concerning Andrei Charniakevich’s dismissal testify that the dismissal was not related to his violation of the employment law or incompetence but expressed persecution for research and research results publication which did not correspond to the administration’s expectations, for non-approval of the publication contents by the censors (by the bodies performing the function, i.e. by the KGB and the vice chancellor for ideology Sviatlana Ahiyavets), for publication of the teaching aids in a foreign publishing house not approved by the university administration. Conversely, Andrei Charniakevich’s dismissal looks like arbitrary dismissal with violation of academic procedures and without obvious reasons for that.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: First of all, there is violation of labor law, at least, it looks like the violation of the procedure of dismissal and especially suspicious the voting of the trade union committee’ members, whose voted for dismissal several days later then voted against dismissal. There is circumstantial evidence of the pressure from the authority. Secondly, the violation of university autonomy, i.e., the Siamen Shapira threatened the University because of “counter-governmental” activity of faculty members, as well as justifying as illegal any publication abroad. Finally, the dismissal is the punishment for scientific publication “without permission” of scientific collection of essays, which looks like direct attempt of the state censorship.
Sources:
Andrei Charniakevich’s personal interview
http://www.t-styl.info/by/113/news/8585
http://www.t-styl.info/by/114/news/10070/
http://nn.by/?c=ar&i=80981&lang=ru
http://www.svaboda.org/content/article/24791838.html
http://harodniaspring.org/be/news/3292
http://www.t-styl.info/by/114/society/10071/
State TV channel about Hrodnaznaŭstva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMCHq0krFpo
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Viachaslau Shved
EVENT DESCRIPTION PATTERN
Infringement type:
Restriction of the freedom to publish and disseminate research results, restriction of the right to freely select topics and contents of personal research while preserving ethical norms (social responsibility). Restriction of the right of personal and professional advancement.
Institution: Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno
Incident date: September 2012 – spring of 2013.
Reporting date: February 2015.
Description: Viachaslau Shved (born on 7 October 1956, Grodno) is a Belarusian historian, doctor of historical sciences (2001), professor (2005) of the Belarusian culture and regional tourism department, was the acting head of the department, the head of the department from March 2008 until 1 April 2013.
On 1 April 2013 the university council did not select him for the professor’s position during competitive selection. He addressed the mass media with an open letter stating that his dismissal was a political one. Shved’s dismissal was denounced, among others, by the Polish director Krzysztof Zanussi.
On 13 September 2012 the academic staff of the university who participated in publication of Hrodnaznaŭstva (Grodno Studies) book had to provide explanations to the officers of the State Security Committee (KGB). The researchers were threatened with dismissal. One of those was professor Viachaslau Shved, doctor of historical sciences. The main reproach was that the book ends in the 1990s, has no information about the current period, it contains the white-red-white flag and Pahonia coat of arms only and that the Belarusian academic staff had taken the liberty to publish their works abroad.
In March 2013 Viachaslau Shved found out that his contract for the position of the head of the Belarusian culture and regional tourism department would not be renewed. He found out that he would not manage the department when his contract expired. The order had been signed by the former chancellor Jauhen Rouba recently dismissed from the chancellor’s office.
Expert opinions concerning infringement on academic freedom
Belarusian expert: Non-renewal of the contract for the position of the department head and later non-selection during competitive selection which violated the selection procedure manifest that the event was an infringement on academic freedommanifested by politicisation of education together with employment ban. Viachaslau Shved’s dismissal was not related to his violation of the employment law or incompetence but expressed persecution for research and research results publication not corresponding to the administration’s expectations, for non-approval of the publication contents by the censors (by the bodies performing the function, i.e. by the KGB and the vice chancellor for ideologySviatlana Ahiyavets), for publication of the teaching aids in a foreign publishing house not approved by the university administration.
International expert, Dmitry Dubrovsky, Reagan-Fascell Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy: First of all, because of special investigation on “Hrodnoznavstva” publication, organized by KGB, the procedure of non-renewal of the contract as well as presumably falsified result of the voting looks like administrative pressure to exclude unwanted faculty members from the department. Important notice here is the staff of the Academic council, where one third of the staff is represented students’ self-government, in current political situation –most of them are members of Belarus Youth Union, pro-governmental political organization, which is highly depends on and managed by the Belarus authorities. Secondly, the fact of punishment for publication “without permission” and “abroad” looks really Soviet-style pressure to dissents, and clearly is the direct attempt of censorship.
Sources:
Viachaslau Shved’s defence http://www.t-sty
http://www.t-styl.info/by/113/news/8585
http://www.t-styl.info/by/114/news/10070/
http://www.t-styl.info/by/113/news/8578
http://www.t-styl.info/by/114/news/9865/
http://charter97.org/be/news/2013/4/2/67422/
http://nn.by/?c=ar&i=109284&lang=ru”lang=ru