Opposition activist gets one year in exile for allegedly dodging military service

Yauhen Yakavenka, an activist with the Belarusian Christian Democracy in Homel, has been sentenced to one year of exile for evading the military service, Homel's Central District Court ruled on June 4, reports Belapan. In last word, Yakavenka pleaded non-guilty, because he did not dodge the enrollment and did not receive summons. He onled demanded that his Constitutional right to maintain correspondence in the Belarusian language be respected. The activist does not agree with the verdict and will appeal the ruling in a higher court.

By the way, Homel's Savetski District court earlier acquitted Yakavenka.