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Court in Homyel rejects appeal from wife of opposition activist

Homyel’s Savetski District Court on June 12 rejected a lawsuit filed by the wife of an opposition activist against demotion from the post as history teacher, BelaPAN said.

On May 23, the court refused to hear the suit, saying that the matter did not fall within its jurisdiction. Svyatlana Palyakow complained to the regional court and the latter ordered the district court to try the suit.

Mrs. Palyakow, the wife of the chairman of the United Civic Party’s regional chapter, works at the number 46 gymnasium under an employment contract with the local education department.

With the three-year contract approaching the expiration deadline set for June 21, the education department has notified the woman that it would not be extended, suggesting striking a contract for one-year employment as child minder, a lower paid job.

The woman believes that the only reason for the demotion decision was her political views, membership in the opposition party and political activities of her husband, Vasil Palyakow.

The defendants in the hearing were Tatsyana Kruhlyak, of the district education department, and Alena Shawtsova, principal of the gymnasium.

"According to the representative of the education department, it is really difficult for a history teacher to find a job in the city," human rights defender Leanid Sudalenka who defended Mrs. Palyakow's interests told BelaPAN. "But as for Mrs. Palyakow, the education department claimed that there were no discrimination and that on the contrary, they cared for people, offering them other posts even though they were lower paid."

"Gymnasium Principal Shawtsova said at the hearing that teachers should stick to state policies, but when asked by me where it was stipulated, she dropped the subject of politics and started talking about flaws in Palyakow's performance, although no disciplinary actions were brought by the gymnasium administration against the woman," he said. "The principal declined to specify what shortages Mrs. Palyakow had as a teacher, saying that an employer has the right not to specify grounds for dismissal."

Mrs. Palyakow is set to contest the judgment.