Belarusian government bans “mass inaction”
Members of the House of Representatives
adopted amendments to the Law on mass events in two readings on 3 October. The
amendments were worked out following successful mass silent actions. The draft
law on mass events in the Republic
of Belarus prepared by
the Council of Ministers provides for asking for permission to hold mass
actions and mass inaction.
The draft law motes that picket is “joint mass presence
of people in a preliminary agreed public place (also, in open air) and at
preliminary agreed time for committing a preliminary agreed act that was
organized, among other means, with the help of the Internet and other
information networks with an aim of public expression of social and political
moods and protests”.
The draft was sent to the House of Representatives on 20 July and was on
consideration of the Standing Commission on human rights, national relations
and mass media.
We remind that silent protests in Belarus have been taking part since
this summer. Scores of thousands of people took part in protests. About 2,000
people were arrested for up to 20 days for clapping hands protesting against
the dictatorship in the country.
