Why do authorities fear pickets on anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

These days Belarusian human rights defenders have received about ten denials in authorization of the pickets they intended to hold for marking the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Vitsebsk human rights defenders received a refusal from the Kastrychnitski district executive committee of Vitsebsk, signed by its deputy head A.Kandratovich. The alleged reasons are that the place they had chosen for the action was not determined for such events by the authorities and there were no agreements with the police, medics and cleansing services. The letter proposes appealing against this decision at Vitsebsk city executive committee. However, the activists intend to go to court instead.

Smarhon human rights activists intended to hold a picket for informing the town citizens about the importance of the Declaration and the real situation of human rights in Belarus. In their application to the authorities they specified the site opposite Kosmos cinema as the action place and explained that the place that had been determined for such actions by the authorities, wouldn’t allow achieving the aims of the action. Smarhon district executive committee refused to authorize the action. As such refusals have become systematic, this time human rights defenders intend to apply to court.

Human rights defenders from Barysau also got a denial and also intend to go to the law, as they consider the reasons for the denial completely unlawful and discriminative.

Brest authorities informed the local applicants that by its decision Brest city executive committee determined the Locomotive stadium as the place for mass events. The refusal was explained by the fact that the picket organizers specified another place for their action.

As we have already written, human rights pickets dated to the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were also banned in Biaroza and Homel.

The real attitude of the Belarusian authorities to such important international documents as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is also witnessed by the absurd fact that Minsk city executive committee also refused to authorize the picket of the Belarusian trade union of radio electronic industry in Banhalor Square, the place that was determined for such actions by the authorities.