Court turns down suit of Brest oppositionists

Leninski district court of Brest considered the complaints of Brest opposition activists Zhana Abramava and Vital Symonik. Abramava and Symonik appealed against the ban of their picket by Brest city executive committee. They intended to hold the action on 7 May near the Belarus cinema in Savetskaya Street and dedicate it to the anniversary of disappearance of the ex-minister of interior Yury Zakharanka. Bear in mind that a number of high state officials are suspected in relation to this crime. The official ground for the executive committee’s refusal was that the only authorized place for mass actions in Brest was the Locomotive stadium.

The judge Larysa Nazaranka ruled that the ban was legal, the citizens’ rights were not violated by it and therefore the lawsuit should be turned down.

An interesting peculiarity of this trial is that the suit was considered only after repeated demand, as on 29 July the court excluded Abramava and Symonik from the list of plaintiffs, leaving there only Raman Kisliak. The activists complained to the oblast court, demanding that their suit be considered. Brest oblast court granted this petition.