News on the topic: freedom of expression
16.03.2012 Vileika Council member faces picket ban
Member of Vileika District Council Iosif Matsiun will not be able to hold a picket against violations of his Constitutional rights, after his application was dismissed by local executive authorities, www.vialeika.org reports.
16.03.2012 UN Human Rights Committee registers complaint by Barysau picketer
Barysau human rights defender Aleh Matskevich has received a reply from the UN Human Rights Committee saying that his complaint against several picket bans imposed by the town authorities has been registered by the Committee.
15.03.2012 Baranavichy police looking for author of information about unauthorized rally
On 15 March police major Vital Dabrachynski called civil activist Viktar Syrytsa to come to room #106 of the Baranavichy City Police Department. He wanted the activist to tell who the author of the information which was published on independent websites on 28 December 2011 and concerned an unauthorized rally the entrepreneur Mikalai Charnavus intended to hold was.
15.03.2012 Baranavichy: one-man picket banned
Deputy head of the Baranavichy city organization of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" received a letter signed by the deputy head of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee Dz. Kastsiukevich.
15.03.2012 Freedom Day action banned in Slonim
On 7 March members of the democratic society of Slonim applied to the Slonim District Executive Committee with the application for authorization of a rally dedicated to the Freedom Day, 25 March (the date of the proclamation of the Belarusian People's Republic in 1918), in the city park.
15.03.2012 Brest authorities allowed only one out of three pickets
Activists of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" intended to hold three pickets on 17 March in order to draw public attention to the implementation of the legal right to accessible accommodation.
14.03.2012 15 pickets banned in Brest district
On 16 March activists of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World" intended to hold actions in 14 villages and the town of Damachava to express their protest against the ongoing increase of prices on foodstuffs and public utilities, which had an especially negative impact on the economical situation of pensioners and families with many children.
12.03.2012 Freedom Day organizers get first refusals
One of the event's initiators Viktar Ivashkevich has informed "Euroradio" that the officials are supposed to send their reply to the application which was filed on 23 February no later than on 20 March – 5 days before the event.
09.03.2012 Pinsk authorities ban literary event
Members of the Ukrainian scientific and pedagogical fellowship "Berehynya", officially registered in Belarus, intended to hold a literary event in the village of Misiatsichy in Pinsk district of Homel region, dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of the birthday of the Ukrainian writer Fedor Odrach, born in this region. Ukrainian scientists who study the writer's work, were to come to the event.
07.03.2012 Hrodna: human rights defender Viktar Sazonau officially warned against holding picket
On 7 March the Hrodna police officially warned Viktar Sazonau about the possible administrative punishment for holding an unauthorized picket.
07.03.2012 Brest authorities ban picket in support of trade-union activist Aleh Stakhayevich
Zinaida Mikhniuk, the head of Brest regional branch of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry, wasn't allowed to hold a picket of solidarity with Aleh Stakhayevich, the head of an independent trade-union branch at the "Granite" enterprise in Mikashevichy who was fired for his trade-union activities.
05.03.2012 Brest authorities ban another picket in support of Ales Bialiatski
The official reason for the refusal to authorize the picket was that its organizer, human rights defender Uldadzimir Vialichkin, hadn't concluded service agreements with police, medics and public utilities.
28.02.2012 Hrodna authorities ban picket in support of political prisoners
Hrodna human rights defenders Viktar Sazonau and Raman Yurhel will not be able to hold a picket of solidarity with Belarusian prisoners of conscience, after their application was dismissed by local executive authorities.
23.02.2012 Minsk court turns down appeal by Gay Pride activists
Minsk City Court has dismissed a complaint lodged by the organizers of Gay Pride held on 22 October 2011, Radio Racyja reports.
22.02.2012 Salihorsk prosecuting authorities refuse to protect freedom of assembly
Salihorsk district prosecutor’s office dismissed without a hearing a claim by local pro-democratic activist Uladzimir Shyla against groundless picket bans imposed by the district executive committee.
