UN HR Committee registers complaint by Brest activist
The UN Human Rights Committee registered an individual complaint by Brest Belarusian Popular Front activist Siarhei Lazenka, the BelaPAN news agency reports, quoting local human rights defender Raman Kisliak.
According to Mr. Kisliak, the activist claims that his civil rights were violated while he was arrested and prosecuted under civil proceedings for participating in an open meeting of the BPF Brest city office on 19 August 2007, featuring the presentation of a book by the famous opposition politician Pavel Seviarynets.
On 7 September 2007 Brest Maskouski Court convicted Mr. Lazenka of violating Paragraph 1 of Article 23.34 of the Civil Code (participation in an unauthorized event) and fined him BYR 62,000. The verdict has been appealed at various judicial levels of the country.
‘The prosecution of a BPF member for participating in the party’s meeting looks absurd. I cannot imagine how the state will manage to substantiate such an illegal restriction of right to peaceful assembly. I am sure that the UN Committee will recognize that Mr. Lazenka’s rights were violated,’ says the human rights activist.
This is a second registered complaint submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee by participants of the meeting, after the Committee registered a claim by Yury Bakura.
In total, 28 persons were detained and 15 prosecuted on the day.
