Orsha: human rights defenders appeal against picket ban

Orsha-based human rights defenders Vasil Berasneu and Vasil Leuchankau filed appeals with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Vitsebsk Regional Procuracy. They state that their freedom of expression, guaranteed by Article 35 of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, was violated by the  picket ban issued by the the Orsha City Executive Committee.

The aim of the action was to support human rights defender Ales Bialiatski. The formal reason for the ban was that the Orsha police refused to conclude the agreement for guarding the action, explaining that all police officers would be busy guarding youth discos at the specified time.

Vasil Berasneu and Vasil Leuchankau, in the their turn, state that that concluding such an agreement with them was a duty of the police, because according to the law “On police forces of the Republic of Belarus” the main duties of the police are the protection of rights, liberties and lawful interests of citizens of Belarus, and rendering assistance to citizens in exercising their rights according to the conditions and rules provided by the law.

The human rights defenders ask to find the ruling of the Orsha City Executive Committee unlawful and draw the guilty officials to legal account.