Human Rights Day pickets banned in Baranavichy, Navapolatsk and Vitsebsk

On 7 December a civil activist Viktar Syrytsa received one more letter signed by the deputy head of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee Dz. Kastsiukevich concerning the prohibition of a picket on the Human Rights Day.

The applicant is again informed that the city authorities refuse to authorize the event despite of the conclusion of service agreements with the city polyclinic and the public utilities.

“I presented these two agreements to the Baranavichy City Executive Committee and also wrote a statement that the officers of the Baranavichy City Police Department lieutenant-colonel Eduard Sudnik and major Pavel Kulhavik refused to conclude a service agreement with me,” said Viktar Syrytsa.

The second letter does not state that the applicant violated point 4 of the decision of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee “About the order of holding mass events in the city of Baranavichy”. However, now an officer of the ideological department of the CEC Siarhei Piatsihorau argues that he violated Article 5 of the Law “On Mass Events”. However, the essence of the “violation” is not explained, as usual.

The civil activists Volha Hrytskevich, Uladzimir Ivankovich, Yauhen Parchynski, Natallia Valiayeva, Tatsiana Volkava and Anton Yasinovich wanted to hold a picket to mark an anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Navapolatsk.

However, thy received a refusal. As it was found out, almost a year ago the city authorities secretly amended the list of the places they had allowed for mass events.

The applicants intended to hold the picket on the ground in front of the city's Culture Palace. However, in the prohibition, signed by the deputy head of the Navapolatsk City Executive Committee Viachaslau Durnou it is stated that according to the ruling of the executive committee of 9 September 2012 “the ground in front of the Culture Palace” was excluded from the places allowed for picketing”. The Navapolatsk activists emphasize that this amendment was done secretly, as a result of which only one place was left for opposition's events – the ground at the entrance of the city's culture and recreation park, where there are almost no visitors or passers-by in winter.

Nevertheless, the activists filed a repeated application, having indicated the remaining place and saving the aim of the action – to discuss economical issues and inform the public about the existence of political prisoners in Belarus.

Vitsebsk human rights defenders wanted to hold a picket in the Culture Park, a place which had been officially determined by the city authorities as suitable for such actions. Predictably enough, the action was not authorized.

The ban was issued by the deputy head of the Chyhunachny District Executive Committee of Vitsebsk Natallia Liapioshkina with reference to the failure of the applicants to conclude service agreements with medics, police and public utilities, informs the website of “Vitsebsk Viasna”.

The Vitsebsk democrats also intend to hold a public lecture “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. How are its provisions implemented in Belarus” on 10 December, emphasizing that they have to use such format as the authorities haven't granted any of their applications for authorization of rallies and meetings for the last two years.