Minsk authorities ban informational pickets
Mr. Tsitsiankou, Deputy Chairperson of the Minsk City Executive Committee, thinks that such actions will hinder the movement of pedestrians.
This decision was made after the meeting between American politicians and Movement for Freedom leader Alexander Milinkevich.
According to the movement's press office, Milinkevich met with former United States Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart who is now Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman Congressman Alcee Hastings, Congressman Christopher Smith who authored Belarus Democracy Act and other politicians.
Aliaksandr Milinkevich, Belarusian politician who was nominated by the leading opposition parties in Belarus to run against Lukashenka in the presidential election on 19 March 2006, commented on the situation with the registration of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization. ‘Nasha Viasna is the leading Belarusian human rights NGO with an excellent history. Its members specialize in various kinds of human rights activities – monitoring human rights violations, providing assistance to individuals and organizations. And I think it is very important that this association be granted registration.
On 5 February in Brest the College Board on civil cases of Brest oblast court, presided by Alena Khatsko considered the complaint of the activist of the For Freedom movement Zhana Abramava concerning the eviction of her family from the apartment. The court reversed the verdict of Maskouski district court of Brest for 25 November and returned the case for a second trial.
Minsk Regional Court has affirmed the sentence passed by Kletsk Town Court fixing a penalty of BYR 1,500,000 roubles to Siarhei Panamarou for organizing an unsanctioned mass action. The action, as it turned out, never actually took place. The activist says he is going to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court of Belarus.
On November 18 property was distrained in the headquarters of Aliaksandar Milinkevich, the leader of the movement “For Freedom”. Officers of the court distrained everything: computers, office equipment, furniture and even things presented to the politician. Answering protests of oppositionists, officers of the court called in policemen. In fact a search is taking place in the headquarters. Leaders of “For Freedom” movement link this fact with “continuation of repressions against oppositionists in Belarus”.
Another founding meeting of NGO “Movement for Freedom” took place in Mahiliou.
Its supporters from all over Belarus gathered for the fourth time in order to approve the documents required by the state. Three earlier attempts to register the movement in the Ministry of Justice ended with a failure.