Vitsebsk: Tatsiana Seviarynets is warned

On 12 November civil and political activists of Vitsebsk intend to hold an assembly of the Vitsebsk residents who set forth their demands at the People’s Assembly on 8 October.

Tatsiana Seviarynets, Vitsebsk coordinator of the organizing committee of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party, was the secretary of the People’s Assembly held in Vitsebsk on 8 October and presided by Iryna Yaskevich. The both women were charged with holding an unauthorized mass event (though holding of assemblies is regulated not by the Law “On Mass Events”, but by the Law “On National and Local Assemblies”).

Recently Tatsiana Seviarynets has received a telephone call from senior lieutenant Kaziuchyts from the Kastrychnitski District Police Department of Vitsebsk, who had drawn the violation report on her for the 8 October assembly. “He stated that the administration of the Kastrychnitski DPD wanted him to officially warn the woman about the inadmissibility of holding the unauthorized action on 12 November, and he wanted me to sign the warning. However, I didn’t sign the violation report concerning the 8 October events and won’t sign this warning. Assemblies are not pickets or rallies, and their holding is not regulated by the Law “On Mass Events”. By the way, Mr. Kaziuchyts agree with me about it, but said that his brass demanded my signature,” said Tatsiana Seviarynets.

The police wanted Iryna Yaskevich to sign the warning as well. However, she refused to do it as well.