Vitsebsk: Leanid Svetsik appeals against picket ban

The Chyhunachny District Executive Committee of Vitsebsk didn't permit human rights defender Leanid Svetsik to hold a picket on 22 August. During this action Mr. Svetsik wanted to inform the population about the situation of human rights in the country, including the arrest of Ales Bialiatski.

The action was banned though Leanid Svetsik implemented all formalities and wanted to hold it in one of the officially permitted places. However, the authorities answered that he needed to conclude service agreements with the police, the medics and the public utilities before applying for permission. The answer contained a refernce to the notorious Ruling #881, issued by the Vitsebsk City Executive Committee on 10 July 2009, which is regularly used as the formal guard to ban street actions.

Leanid Svetsik is convinced that this refusal violates his rights which are guaranteed by the Constitution and international agreements signed by Belarus. "I think that by this decision the Chyhunachny District Executive Committee of Vitsebsk... violated my civil and political rights, namely: freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 33 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, and freedom of peaceful assemblies, provided by Article 35 of the Constitution," reads the appeal.