Baranavičy: filed a cassation appeal on the case to ban the May Day rally

Ryhor Hryk, an activist of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry (TUREI), has filed an appeal to the Brest Regional Court against the verdict of the Baranavičy City and District Court which on May 21 had dismissed his complaints against the ban on the May Day rally, issued by the city authorities.

Ryhor Hryk disagrees with the verdict of the court of the first instance and states that the court ignored the fact that the executive committee had itself violated the law by failing to mention the reasons for banning the mass event. In his appeal the activist states that he heard the real reasons for the ban from the head of the juridical department of the executive committee only at the trial.

“The executive committee banned the picket as I didn't mention in my appeal whether the picketers would use cars and pyrotechnics. However, Article 6 of the Law "On mass events" requires information about the use of fireworks and transport only in the case if they are used by the organizers of the mass event. As I wanted to hold a picket without using vehicles and pyrotechnics, I didn't mention these items in my appeal,” commented Ryhor Hryk in his appeal.

However, Judge Mikalai Selimanovich supported the arguments of the executive committee. In his appeal against the verdict of the court the first instance, Mr. Hryk states that the court misinterpreted the Law “On Mass Events”.

The trade union activist asks the Brest Regional Court to quash the verdict of the Baranavičy City and District Court of 21 May 2015 and make a new judgment without remitting the case for retrial.