Vitsebsk authorities ban human rights picket
The human rights
defenders Pavel Levinau and Leanid Svetsik received an answer from the Kastrychnitski
District Executive Committee of Vitsebsk concerning their request to authorize
their picket on Human Rights Day, 10 December.
The applicants asked to permit the picket either on Peramohi Square or on Svabody Square. The letter signed by the
Deputy Chairperson of the Kastrychnitski DEC A.Kandratovich states that these
places aren’t on the list of the places that had been determined by the DEC for
holding of mass events.
Another formal reason for the refusal is the absence of the agreements for paid
services of the communal services, the police and the medics, though it is
enough to present a written undertaking of the organizers to secure the public
order during the action (which was done by Mr. Svetsik).
On 10 December human rights activists traditionally try to hold pickets in
different towns and cities of Belarus
in order to remind the population about human rights violations in the country.
As a rule, such actions are banned and their participants are persecuted.
