Vitsebsk Region Court again upholds ban on pickets
On 10 November the Vitsebsk Region Court considered
the cassation appeal of human rights defender Leanid Svetsik against the
verdict of the Chairman of the Chyhunachny District Court of Vitsebsk, Raman
Dziahoda, upholding the verdict of the Chyhunachny District Court by which a
picket ban issued to Mr. Svetsik by the Vitsebsk Chyhunachny District Executive
Committee had been declared lawful.
Leanid Svetsik intended to hold a picket in support of human rights defender
Ales Bialiatski. However, the Chyhunachny DEC banned the action referring to
ruling #881 of the Vitsebsk City Executive Committee, dated 10 July 2009,
according to which a person applying for the authorization of a mass event must
conduct service agreements with the police medics and public utilities in
advance. In practice, these institutions refuse to conclude such agreements
without seeing an official permission first. Vitsebsk activists have submitted
tens of applications for actions during the last years, but the vicious circle
remains unbroken.