Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘Ivan Kruk’s case should reach UN HR Committee’

The case of Ivan Kruk, member of the civil initiative ‘Astravets Nuclear Power Plant is a Crime’, has finally reached the court. The activist is charged with distributing printed materials with no proper output data.
According to Viasna’s representative Valiantsin Stefanovich, Belarusian human rights activists are ready to help Mr.Kruk in protecting his rights.
‘We consider the situation as a violation of Mr.kruk’s rights and an outrage against Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, since the Treaty guarantees the right to freely disseminate and receive any kind of information. Besides, the Covenant states that the right can only be restricted ‘to protect national security, public order (ordre public), public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others.’ Ivan Kruk is performing a socially useful task. He has been informing the people on the construction of the nuclear power plant, which affects the interests of every citizen,’ says the human rights expert.
The restriction of Ivan Kruk’s right is deemed absolutely illegal by the human rights activists.
‘It is an absolutely groundless restriction of a legitimate right. In my opinion, the case should eventually reach the UN Human Rights Committee, and we are ready to help Mr.Kruk to draw up an individual complaint on the violation of his rights,’ said Valiantsin Stefanovich.