Court declined pretensions of Homel human rights defenders to executive committee

On 30 December Siarhei Shytsikau, judge of the Tsentralny district court of Homel turned down the lawsuits of the human rights defenders Anatol Paplauny and Leanid Sudalenka to Homel city executive committee. The plaintiffs demanded that the court abolished the ruling of the executive committee on the prohibition of a human rights picket on 10 December, Human Rights Day.

The judge explained his verdict by referring to the fact that ruling #299 On mass events in the city of Homel, issued by the city authorities, had been introduced in the National register of legal acts. This ruling obliges the initiators of mass events to conclude agreements with the police, the ambulance and the community services, whereas Paplauny and Sudalenka didn't conclude such agreements.

In fact, ruling #299 unlawfully restricts civil right to peaceful assemblies. 'Despite the fact that the courts have never taken our side we decided to appeal against the ruling of the executive committee on banning the picket. The executive committee got a habit of prohibiting all mass actions that are not held by the authorities or pro-governmental organizations. During the last five years it hasn't sanctioned a single oppositional action. Such attitude of the authorities violates our constitutional rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,' commented Leanid Sudalenka.

The activists intend to appeal against the court verdict at a higher court instances and even apply to the UN Human Rights Committee will it be necessary.