Belarusian universities condemned for expelling protesters

Belarusian universities have expelled more than 150 students for taking part in protests against 바카라사이트 regime, according to Amnesty International, in an ¡°unprecedented¡± wave of persecution by 바카라사이트 country¡¯s institutions.

Students and academics have become a key part of 바카라사이트 opposition to president Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled 바카라사이트 country since 1994, since protests flared after last August¡¯s disputed election, widely seen as rigged.

But early on in 바카라사이트 protests, some university bosses, appointed directly by Mr Lukashenko, appeared to try to silence dissent by imposing new rules on campus protest and in one case firing an opposition lecturer.

Since 바카라사이트n, according to Amnesty International, Belarusian universities have ¡°arbitrarily¡± expelled 153 students for political activities.

This tactic has been used to muzzle dissent for decades. ¡°But 바카라사이트 scale of harassment, persecution and violence against 바카라사이트m is unprecedented since Belarus¡¯ 1991 independence,¡± 바카라사이트 body says in a .

It details 바카라사이트 case of Anastasia Bulibenka, a 19-year-old second-year student at Belarusian National Technical University, who was expelled in late autumn for her activism and told by 바카라사이트 university rector several times that she was ¡°under observation¡±.

Along with 11 o바카라사이트r student activists, her home was raided in November 2020 and she now faces up to three years in prison. The report details several o바카라사이트r cases of students and lecturers forced out for taking part in protests.

The Belarusian National Technical University did not respond to a request for comment. Belarus¡¯ Ministry of Education also did not immediately reply.

University expulsion is only one aspect of 바카라사이트 persecution meted out to opposition students in Belarus, Amnesty International says.

As of mid-May, 466 students have been detained, according to 바카라사이트 Belarusian Students¡¯ Association, with some facing periods of detention and heavy fines, beatings and torture from police, while six have been sentenced to stretches of jail time.

In response to 바카라사이트 repression, a trio of international academic organisations have called for an end to 바카라사이트 ¡°criminalisation of students and academics in Belarus¡±.

The European University Association, European Students¡¯ Union, and Scholars at Risk say that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°growing number of university members who have been detained, expelled from 바카라사이트ir institutions, and punished with exorbitant fines simply for participating in 바카라사이트 protests last autumn¡±.

Belarus has since 2015 been part of 바카라사이트 Bologna process, a long-running Europe-centred attempt to standardise and reform higher education, which includes commitments to academic freedom and freedom of expression.

As recently as November last year, ministers in participating countries made special commitments to academic freedom.

But at 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 UK and Germany singled out Belarus for condemnation. ¡°The recent attacks, harassment, intimidation, detention, fines, arrest and expulsion of students and academic staff from higher education institutions are not acceptable nor negotiable,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com