Salihorsk Prosecutor’s Office brushes off appeal by human rights activist

The Prosecutor’s Office of Salihorsk district did not respond to a ban imposed by the district executive committee on a picket scheduled for Human Rights Day and the absurd actions of an ideology official who classified the decision as a state secret.

An appeal filed by local representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Leanid Markhotka was dismissed without consideration by the District Prosecutor Aleh Adzei.

“If you believe that the decision of the Deputy Chairman of the Salihorsk district executive committee does not comply with the legislation on mass events, you can file a complaint to the court of Salihorsk district,” says a response from Senior Advisor of Justice Audzei.

The question of refusal by chief ideology official Mikalai Maskevich to provide a copy of the Executive Committee’s decision “On measures to prevent accidents and rule of law during mass events”, which became the basis for the ban, was forwarded back to the executive committee.

The BHC representative considers this answer an attempt to evade the solution of an uneasy problem. According to the human rights defender, further attempts to restore the violated right to freedom of peaceful assembly will take place in court.