Six months wasted for Minsk Regional Court takes to rule in Young Front activist’s case

Andrei Tychyna, Salihorsk activists of the Young Front opposition movement, has finally received a ruling by Minsk Regional Court, six months after he submitted his appeal to challenge a ban on holding a bike ride. It wasn’t until the case was addressed by representatives of the central office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee that the struggle of the young opposition activist with the judicial bureaucracy had been put an end to.

“From the very beginning I said it out loud that I was ready to go all the way to the UN Human Rights Committee in an attempt to defend my right to freedom of peaceful assembly. I am sure that this was the main reason for the reluctance of the state to issue the ruling by Minsk Regional Court. I would like to thank BHC lawyers, their assistance in this case was vital,” says Andrei Tychyna.

As for the court ruling proper, it is, as reported previously to the activist, was not in favor of the Young Front member. Judge Sviatlana Dalinchuk of Minsk Regional Court confirmed an earlier decision by Salihorsk District Court to ban the bike ride, ruling to dismiss the young man’s appeal. According to Mrs. Dalinchuk, “the reasons provided in the appeal of Andrei Tychyna do not contain the grounds for cancellation of the decision of the Court of Salihorsk district.”

Andrei Tychyna sees no point in further appealing the ban at the national courts and says in the near future he will prepare a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee. Because of a serious delay in the receipt of the judicial verdict, he will seek the recognition of not only the violation of his right to freedom of peaceful assembly but the right to a fair trial, too.