Mazyr court restricts freedom of peaceful assembly

On 19 October, Mazyr human rights defender Uladzimir Tseliapun lodged a complaint with local court against a ban on a picket in support of Belarusian prisoners of conscience scheduled for 8 October.

During the first court hearing on 9 November, Mr. Tseliapun requested to summon a number of local executive officials.

On 14 November, Mazyr District Court resumed the hearing. Feliks Haliuk, deputy chair of local executive committee, argued that the picket had been banned, as the expected venue (local Spartak stadium) was occupied by children’s exercises.

However, five days before the day of the picket Uladzimir Tseliapun was told that the district’s executive committee did not mind holding the event.

Apart from that, Mazyr district executive committee amended mass events regulations, requesting the applicant to sign contracts with local medical, housing and police departments. However, the new regulations did not mention the exact procedures for signing the contracts.

On 15 November, the court dismissed the complaint.