Financial Times FT.com

Democracy: Repression still rules despite thaw towards EU

By Stefan Wagstyl

Published: November 18 2008 04:16 | Last updated: November 18 2008 04:16

When Pavel Kuryanovich first attended political demonstrations three years ago he was still at school. Now aged 19, he is an opposition veteran with four prison sentences to his name.

But the 60 days he has spent in jail for public order offences have not dulled his determination to challenge president Alexander Lukashenko. He says: “Why struggle? – because we must. People understand things must change in Belarus but they don’t understand they must be active.”

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