Mahiliou: authorities looking for signature sheets in support of People's Assembly
On 1 November Uladzimir Shantsau, an organizer of the
People's Assembly in Mahiliou, was summonsed to the main justice department of
the Mahiliou Region Executive Committee. Kantstantsin Krupenkin, Deputy
Chairman of the justice department, demanded that Shantsau presented the lists
of signers for the People's Assembly in Mahiliou.
However, the letter refused to do it, as it wasn't provided by the law and such
information could be used to pressurize the signers.
Bear in mind that earlier Mr. Shantsau had appealed against the official
warnings, issued to him by the Mahiliou City Executive Committee and the
Leninski District Procuracy of Mahiliou in connection with the organization of
the assembly.
Yesterday Uladzimir Shantsau was summonsed to the police, where the charges
that had been issued to him for the organization of the event were changed. At
first Mr. Shantsau had been charged with violating the Law “On National and
Local Assemblies”. However, it means that the warnings that had been issued to
him were unlawful. “That's why the authorities unlawfully interfered with the
police activities and made them groundlessly change the charges,” commented
human rights defender Barys Bukhel.
