Opposition activict Shyla preparing for his English exam
Defense Minister Leanid Maltsaw granted Ivan
Shyla, an opposition activist who is doing 18-month compulsory service in the
army, a short leave of absence to sit his last general education certificate
examination.
In June 2008, the then 17-year-old Shyla, a
member of Malady Front, was expelled from a school in Salihorsk,
The official grounds for his expulsion from school were that the student had
frequently violated the school's regulations by participation in unsanctioned
demonstrations and other opposition activities.
On January 19, 2009, Shyla condemned his imminent recruitment into the military
as a "form of politically motivated persecution."
