Hrodna human rights defenders appeal verdict of Hrodna City Executive Committee

Hrodna public activists Uladzimir Khilmanovich, Viktar Sazonau and Raman Yurhel applied to the Leninski District Court against the ruling of the Hrodna City Executive Committee of 1 August, by which they were prohibited to hold an informational picket in support of Ales Bialiatski.

The picket organizers believe that the executive committee violated their constitutional rights to free distribution of information. Moreover, by its ruling the Hrodna City Executive Committee evidently violated the Law “On Mass Events in the Republic of Belarus” by answering less than five days before the event. In the given case the executive committee took its decision only on 1 August and sent it on 2 August, which is witnessed by the appropriate seal. As a result, two human rights defenders received the decision by mail the day before the event, which was appointed on 4 August, and Mr. Sazonau received it already after it, on 6 August.