UN Human Rights Committee accepted Eduard Neliubovich's communication

The UN Human Rights Committee has registered a complaint by a Homel activist of the United Civil Party Eduard Neliubovich, who appeals a ban on a street procession in support of the Ukrainian people and its wish to live in the European Union. He also appeals the prohibition of a picket in support of Ales Bialiatski and his nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Initially, the activist tried to find the truth at the national level, but the Belarusian courts sided with the officials. After exhausting all domestic remedies he decided to search for justice at the international level.

Edvard Neliubovich asks the Human Rights Committee to recognize a violation of his rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly by Belarus. In addition, the party activists draws attention to the law on mass events, which doesn't comply with the guarantees enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

"We need to change boththe basic national law on mass events, and the regulation of the Homel City Executive Committee, which imposes additional duties on the organizers of peaceful assemblies, such as entering into service contracts with the public utilities and the medics. Until then, expressing one's opinion through peaceful assembly will be impossible", commented E. Neliubovich.

A lawyer and director of the Homel Centre for Strategic litigation Leanid Sudalenka, who helps people in preparing and filing individual communications with the UN Human Rigths Committee, stresses that over the past 11 years the city authorities did not allow citizens to hold more than 600 peaceful assemblies. In fact, the very essence of the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly is missing in the region.

Homel Spring