Svietlahorsk: wheelchair user didn't manage to get to court hearing

April 13 Svietlahorsk District Court was to have considered a lawsuit, filed by a civil society activist, wheelchair user Yury Liashenka. However, the activist didn't manage to get to the preliminary hearing, as the judge's office was located on the first floor, and the barrier-free environment often exists just on the paper.

In particular, there was neither wheelchair ramp, nor lift, that's why it was simply impossible for the disabled man to get to the judge's office. Mr. Liashenka's wife was invited to the office of Judge Uladzimir Stsiapanau as the representative of his legal interests, as well another civil society activist, Ihar Pesikau, whereas Mr. Liashenka himself he had to wait on the ground floor.

The next hearing was appointed on April 23.

Let us remind that Mr. Liashenka filed a claim to the court asking to find illegal the actions of the ambulance medics who had detained him while he had been staging a one-man picket in November 2014. He had been forcedly taken to the hospital and given unknown injections. After this a policeman came and drew up report against him for staging unauthorized picket, for which Mr. Liashenka was subsequently fined.

The activist wants the court to answer the questions who and why called the ambulance and who ordered the medics to forcefully drive him to the hospital.