The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

Hrodna city executive officials have banned the holding of a series of pickets in support of retaining Polish-language education at a local secondary school attended by representatives of the city’s Polish minority.

Salihorsk town executive officials have banned a bike ride marking the anniversary of the 1995 referendum that introduced new state symbols instead of the historical Pahonia coat of arms and the white-red-white flag.

The administration of Homel-based “Tourist” hotel has refused to provide premises for the screening of a documentary “Stalin’s Line. Homel Region” produced by local pro-democratic activists.

Hrodna Leninski District Court has dismissed appeals by local pro-democratic activists Yury Istomin, Vadzim Saranchukou and Uladzimir Khilmanovich in their lawsuit against the city’s executive committee.

Hrodna city executive committee keeps violating the Mass Events Code by either denying local pro-democratic activists’ rights to stage pickets and meetings or failing to authorize the events in due time.

The appropriate campaign was launched by the United Civil Party. Such pickets were banned in Babruisk, Barysau, Brest and Mahiliou. The organizers wanted to hold the actions in busy places in order to attract the attention of the population. However, they were usually answered that the pickets could be held only in the places that had been officially determined for such actions.

On 11 May civil activist Ryhor Hryk (in the photo) addressed A. Lukashenka with a complaint about actions of the Prosecutor General, the prosecutor of Baranavichy and the prosecutor of the Brest region.

The head of the Belarusian Independent Trade Union Mikalai Zimin and the head of the independent trade union at "Granite" factory Aleh Stakhayevich applied to the Mikashevichy authorities for the authorization of 1 May demonstration in the city. Predictably enough, the application was rejected.