“Ice Age” comes to Salihorsk public life

Salihorsk authorities have banned two more street events – a picket and a meeting scheduled for 21 January and 22 January, respectively.

The events were expected to draw public attention to the proposed amendments to the Electoral Code ahead of the 2012 parliamentary election. However, they were banned due to the “installment of ice surface on the territory of the stadium”.

The events’ organizer Uladzimir Shyla (see photo) argues that the decision is illegal. “Firstly, none of the international human rights treaties ratified by the Republic of Belarus names freezing water for a rink as a reasonable ground for restricting the citizens’ rights. Secondly, it were the authorities themselves who identified the Budaunik stadium as the mass events location. Thirdly, in my application I asked to suggest alternative time or place in case there were any obstacles to the mass events, which was not done”, says Mr. Shyla.