Brest city executive committee banned the picket dedicated to the tenth anniversary of disappearance of Yury Zakharanka

Brest city executive committee did not grant the application for the picket, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of disappearance of the former minister of interior Yury Zakharanka. The politician was kidnapped on 7 May 1999 and has been missing since then.

The action was organized by the United Civil Party. As said to the BelaPAN to the head of Brest oblast UCP organization Mikalai Koush, the aim of the picket was to draw the attention of citizens to rude violation of their constitutional rights by the authorities and persecution of the political opponents of the regime. The picket was to have been held at 2-4 p.m. at Locomotive stadium (which had been determined by Brest city executive committee as the place for mass actions).

According to M.Koush, the picketing was allegedly prohibited by a football tournament.

‘It is not the first time when activists of democratic forces receive such refusals’, said M.Koush. ‘As it is the only place in Brest where such actions can be held, I think that in such a way the local authorities deprive us of the opportunity to hold the actions they dislike. We may appeal against this prohibition at the appropriate instances.’