Minsk authorities ban assembly of the initiative for return of social guarantees

Minsk city executive committee banned the assembly of the Initiative group for realization of the right of legal initiative for introduction of amendments and supplements to the law On the state social benefits and guarantees to certain categories of citizens. The initiative group consists of hundreds of pensioners, disabled, students, workers and clergymen, who intend to struggle for the social guarantees which were liquidated by the state authorities in the beginning of 2008.

Thousands of citizens supported the initiators of collection of signatures for return of the social guarantees.

‘We have addressed Minsk city executive committee with the request to provide any place for assembly of the initiative group. We called three such places, one of them outdoors,’ says Mikalai Pakhabau, an organizer of the assembly.

On 8 July 2008 the assembly organizers received an answer from the deputy head of Minsk CEC M.Tsitsiankou. There it was written:

‘Minsk city executive committee has considered your application for holding an assembly at 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on 13 July 2008. As Your application does not meet the requirements of the law of the Republic of Belarus #114 of 30 December 1997 On mass actions in the Republic of Belarus, Minsk city executive committee does not permit Your holding the assembly at 10a.m. – 1 p.m. on the territory of Minsk.’