Vitsebsk resident appeals violations at UN Human Rights Committee

The UN Human Rights Committee has registered the complaint submitted by Vitsebsk resident Valery Misnikau against alleged violations of his civil rights by the Belarusian authorities.

Mr. Misnikau argues that his right to peaceful assembly was violated, when Vitsebsk authorities banned a picket back in November 2010. The ban was appealed at a number of Belarusian courts, including the Supreme Court, who dismissed the complaints.

“As a law-obedient citizen, I was not going to violate the rights of other citizens during the picket, including their right to free movement around the city. Moreover, I was going to be the only picketer, and I could not have interfered with the passers-by’s movement and the traffic. So, the grounds the ban referred to are trivial and illegal”, says Mr. Misnikau.