Dismissed historian tries to return to work through court

• 7.12.2012, 11:37

Andrei Charnyakevich was dismissed from Yanka KUpala University of Hrodna in September for alleged “breach of labour discipline”.

Chernyakevich is confident he was punished for his contribution to a book about the history of Hrodna, Euroradio reports.

The case is heard by Hrodna's Leninski district court. The trial is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. The court is expected to announce its decision today.

Andrei Charnyakevich says:

“I'd like to hope the court will take my side and I will be able to return to work. But it seems I have few real chances. We are fighting against ghosts: no one has accused me officially. The university, for its part, continues to insist that the sanction doesn't have political motives.”

Charnyakevich says he didn't raise the question of the book, because it would be impossible to prove anything.

The book about the history of Hrodna was printed in Poland. Its authors, historians from Hrodna, were accused of ending the book on 1991, absence of a section about the contemporary history, printing a picture of the national white-red-white flag on the back cover. The KGB showed their interest in the book. It's worth noting that a meeting with KGB officers was the reason why Andrei Charnyakeivch was once late for work.