No Chernobyl Picket for Homel

According to RFE/RL

Tsentralny court of Homel rejected the suit of the activist of the Party of Communists of Belarus Maryia Bahdanovich against the prohibition of Chernobyl picket by Homel city executive committee.

At the trial the plaintiff explained that Siarhei Shpakau and she applied for authorization of a picket aimed at studying of the public opinion about construction of a new nuclear power station in Belarus. The executive committee banned the picket by its decision #342. Bahdanovich sued the officials to get the decision reversed as it violates her constitutional rights and the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights.

The representative of the executive committee Palina Labanava presented the opinion of the executive committee, signed by its chair Aliaksandr Bialiayeu. There it was stated that from the application for authorization of the picket it was unclear how to applicants could guarantee the observance of public order, medical aid to the action participants and cleaning the territory after the end of the action.

According to Labanava, the applicants needed to conclude agreements with the police, medics and communal services and within 10-day term present to the executive committee letters with guarantees that such services would be implemented. However, it still does not mean that the committee would have authorized the action, as it also takes into consideration the expedience.

The judge Siarhei Shytsikau took the side of the executive committee and rejected the suit.