Brest Regional Court: all applications for pickets must specify whether pyrotechnics would be used

July 6, Brest Regional court turned down the appeal of Baranavičy activist of the Trade Union of Radio Electronic Industry Ryhor Hryk against the verdict of Baranavičy City and District Court which on May 21 had turned down his appeal against the prohibition of a May Day picket by the city authorities.

Human rights activist Uladzimir Malei, who represented the interests of Mr. Hryk at the trial, argued that the trade union activist had fulfilled all requirements of the law on mass events: he had timely filed the application for the picket to Baranavičy City Executive Committee, as well as his personal undertaking to clean the territory after the event, had created a group of three persons for securing the public order at it. He also entered into a service contract with the city polyclinic for serving the May Day action of solidarity with workers at an officially designated site. The human rights activist emphasized that the formal reason for banning the mass event was that the applicant failed to mention in his application whether he intended to use vehicles and pyrotechnics during the picket.

“However, hour could he use vehicles if he intended to hold the picket in the old city park, where there are only pedestrian walkways for visitors? I argued that Article 6 of the Law "On Mass Events" requires information about the use of fireworks and vehicles only if the organizers of a mass event intend to use them. However, Ryhor Hryk wrote nothing about vehicles and pyrotechnics since he didn't intend to use them,” commented Mr. Malei.
Brest Regional Court upheld the decision of the trial court that the organizer of a mass event was obliged to mention whether he intended to use vehicles and pyrotechnics in any case.

Ryhor Hryk disagrees with the decision of the regional court and intends to appeal to Chairman of Brest Regional Court.