UCP Mahiliou activists denied permission to hold Yury Zakharanka memorial picket
Mahiliou city executive committee banned a memorial picket to mark the 14th anniversary of the disappearance of former Minister of Defense Yury Zakharanka on the grounds that the UCP activists were going to stage the event in a location not approved by the officials.
The picket was expected to be held in central Mahiliou, on a location where the pro-government BRSM youth union staged an event back on 1 March.
Uladzimir Shantsau, local leader of the United Civil Party, says the ban will be appealed to court.
“We are going to court in the near future. We are not satisfied with the fact that the law in our country is not equal for everyone. The Constitution of Belarus guarantees all citizens and political parties equal rights, while in reality the law functions only for some of them,” says Mr. Shantsau.
Mahiliou still has only one authorized location for holding mass events. This is the “Khimik” stadium located in a deserted place on the outskirts of the city.
