Siarhei Salash Warned by Prosecutor’s Office
An activist of a public campaign For Clean Barysau Siarhei Salash has received an official warning from Barysau district prosecutor’s office.
In private, in the warning the prosecutor of Barysau district V.Shpakouski informs the activist that as long as the public initiative has not received a state registration, the participation in it is punishable under article 193.1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus.
Meanwhile, a human rights activist Valiantsin Stefanovich thinks that campaign or initiative can not be equaled to an NGO, because campaigns including the initiative For Free Barysau have no such traits of public organizations as governing bodies, organizational structures and long-term aims and objectives. Campaigns can be initiated by political parties, public movements and ordinary citizens.
That’s why the official warning that has been served to Siarhei Salash by Barysau district prosecutor’s office is legally groundless. Besides, we consider the existence of article 193.1 and the practice of its use inadmissible, because it contradicts to the international norms in the field of human rights, first of all the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights that was ratified by the Republic of Belarus.
Most probably, this warning was issued to the activist with the aim to neutralize him on the eve of the Parliamentary election in Belarus.
