HIV-positive Belarusians complain about discrimination

It is legally very difficult to prove the discrimination of HIV-positive people, Alena Hryhoryeva, the chairperson of the Belarusian HIV Positive People Community, said during the first conference of the organization. "When a HIV-positive person is fired, he or she is sacked on formal grounds that are not linked with the disease. Therefore, it is almost impossible to prove the facts of discrimination", Hryhoryeva said.

At the same time, she noted lawsuits against discrimination could becone an efficient way of resolving the problem of the negative attitude towards HIV-positive patients. "We have numerously come across the closed doors. Turning backs is a routine reaction of people towards a HIV-positive person", she said.