Homel authorities: no money – no rights

On 12 July, the Tsentralny District Court of Homel considered the lawsuit of the Homel human rights defenders Anatol Paplauny and Leanid Sudalenka against the ban imposed by the Homel City Executive Committee on over 30 pickets that the activists planned to hold in the most populous places of the city on 1 June in order to mark the International Children’s Day.

Siarhei Shytsikau, Deputy Chairperson of the court, agreed with the arguments of a representative of the Homel CEC, Iryna Ramaniuk, that prior to the action the organizers needed to conclude agreements with the medics, the police and the public utilities for providing the necessary medical aid to the action participants, guarding the public order during the action and cleaning the streets after it.

When Anatol Paplauny asked the official how these services could be paid by unemployed people, she gave an elusive answer that it was the problem of the unemployed. No money – no rights!

Iryna Ramaniuk also couldn’t answer anything to the question of Leanid Sudalenka wh asked how it was possible to hold a procession in the city where local authorities had determined just one place for mass events.

The court also refused to raise the question about the unlawfulness of the ruling of the Homel City Executive Committee that determined one place for all mass events and obliged their organizers to conduct the agreements for paid services with the medics, the police and the public utilities.

The human rights defenders intend to appeal the verdict at the Homel Region Court.