Baranavichy: human rights defender appeals a picket ban

Human rights activist Siarhei Housha has filed a complaint to the Baranavichy City Court against the decision of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee according to which he has been prohibited to hold a picket dedicated to the 66th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The complaint notes that from the response of the Executive Committee it is not clear what exactly has been violated by the applicants. Mr. Housha also points out that in addition to the law and the regulation of the city executive committee on mass events the authorities must also be guided by the regulation of the Council of Ministers of March 5, 2012 No. 207, which requires the executive authorities to pass the received application for a mass event to law-enforcement authorities within one day with the aim to organize the protection of its participants. The human rights activist believes that instead of bringing their ruling in line with the ruling of the Council of Ministers, the local authorities illegally require the applicants for pickets and rallies to conclude service contracts with the police. Then they ban the mass events referring to the failure of the applicants to enter into such contracts.

Siarhei Housha asks the court to cancel the decision of the executive committee to ban the picket as illegal and violating the rights of the applicants, to prosecute the deputy chairman of the executive committee of Baranavichy U. Zakharchuk for violating term of answering the application for the mass event and also to bring to justice the officials of the Baranavichy city executive committee responsible for non-implementation of the ruling of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus of March 5, 2012 No. 207.