Hrodna authorities ban picket of support to Ales Bialiatski

Hrodna city executive committee has banned a picket of support to Ales Bialiatski scheduled for 22 August, referring to “failure to follow Par. 4 Art. 5 of the Mass Events Act”, local human rights defenders report.

“There’s no sensation, Hrodna officials have for a long time been unable to take independent decisions, the main law for them is an order from above. In essence, the reply does not even mention why the picket has been banned. They must have failed to find anything to pick at and replied with a formal letter. No doubt, Hrodna officials banned the picket. Howwver, we are going to find other ways to inform people on the political harassment of the leader of Belarusian human rights movement”, says one of the picket’s applicants Uladzimir Khilmanovich.