Brest: another picket ban left standing

The Brest City Executive Committee prohibited human rights defender Uladzimir Vialichkin, the head of the Brest regional organization of the United Civil Party Uladzimir Vuyek and the head of the Brest regional organization of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party (Hramada) Ihar Maslouski to hold a picket in support of the imprisoned head of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” Ales Bialiatksi and all other political prisoners in Belarus on 4 August.

The official reason for the ban was that the applicant didn't conclude service agreements with police, medics and street cleaners. 

The applicants appealed the ban to the Brest City Court. Predictably enough, the court sided with the authorities. “The court ignored the fact that the ruling to which the city executive committee refers in its ban violates the civil right to peaceful assemblies and freedom of expression,” commented Mr. Vialichkin.