Haradok: Leanid Autukhou has lost the trial, but does not give in

Haradok district court turned down the lawsuit of Leanid Autukhou against the deputy head of Haradok distirct executive committee for violation of the constitutional right of citizens to peaceful assembly.

Judge Hanna Hancharova ruled that the deputy head of Haradok DEC did not violate the law by the refusal to authorize a civil assembly at the DEC hall. The deputy administrator of the DEC Viktar Sviarbolin represented the DEC at the trial. He stated that the legislation prohibited any mass actions within 50-meter distance from administrative buildings, that’s why the request for authorization for such an action in the DEC hall was provocative.

Leanid Autukhou explained that on 9 January he intended to hold an action for his fellow-townsmen to discuss the social and economical situation in the country and the ways out. However, in the answer to the application the district administration stated that the action could be held only on a distant suburb Verabyiovy Hory, the place the authorities had determined for such actions.

Mr. Autukhou turned the attention of the court to the fact that during the last two years he had applied for authorization of mass actions in different parts of Haradok  four times and each time he received a refusal. He considers these refusals as violation of the civil right to peaceful assemblies.

The trial was attended to a former political prisoner Siarhei Parsiukevich, the head of the oblast committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party Narodnaya Hramada Aliaksei Haurutsikau, the coordinator of the For Freedom movement Khrystafor Zhaliapau and an activist of the movement Leanid Haravy. All of them share Autukhou’s opinion concerning prohibition of the actions.

They intend to appeal against the court verdict to higher court instances and complain to the prosecutor’s office against the unlawful actions of the district administration.