Review-Chronicle of Human Rights Violations in Belarus in June 2012

Events in June clearly demonstrated that Belarusian authorities considered human rights issues only in the dimension of political relations with the EU and other countries of Europe. The focus of these relations was still on the problem of political prisoners. Due to the complete lack of political will for the release of political prisoners by Belarusian authorities, the EU announced the possibility of extending the list of the state officials of Belarus falling under its sanctions. This was announced on 18 June in Brussels by Gunnar Wiegand, Director of the European External Action Service Department for Russia, Eastern Partnership, Central Asia, regional cooperation and OSCE. The head of the JV "Santa Impex Brest" Ltd. Aliaksandr Mashenski, who played an important role in the presidential campaign of Aliaksandr Lukashenka in 2010 and is considered the third most influential Belarusian oligarch after Peftsiyeu and Chyzh, was mentioned as a contender for the inclusion in this list. The reaction of Belarusian authorities to this statement was instantaneous: on 21 June Hrodna journalist and activist of the Polish minority Andrei Pachobut was arrested on charges of defaming the president, and the list of political prisoners was supplied with another name. Having no wish to escalate the confrontation, the EU refrained from considering the Belarusian issue at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the EU on 25 June in Luxembourg. On 30 June Andrei Pachobut was released on a recognizance, although the charges were brought against him.

 

It should be added that Belarusian authorities reacted very nervously to the accession of seven European countries to the economic and visa sanctions – Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Iceland, Serbia, Albania and Liechtenstein.

 

The hopes that the amnesty proclamation which was planned before the official Independence Day, 3 July, would be used as a legal mechanism for the release of political prisoners, didn't come true. On 12 June, at a meeting on the issue of amnesty for certain categories of offenders, Aliaksandr Lukashenka stated that "there should be no politics during the conduct of the amnesty": "Everything has to be honest. To do this, criteria must be defined. According to these criteria, we must act: someone will be released on parole according to these criteria or will have his prison term reduced. And we must not "pull" there any people who are not to be released, including for political motives, at any cost". At the same time, the draft bill "On Amnesty", entered to the Parliament on 15 June, was heavily politicized and drew a sharp criticism of human rights defenders. Compared to similar legislation in previous years, several articles of the Criminal Code were excluded: Article 342, "Organization and preparation of group actions which violate the public order, or active participation in them", under which 10 people were convicted for participation in the post-election protests of 19 December 2010, including Pavel Seviarynets who is currently serving a personal restraint term), Article 293, "Mass riot" (ex-presidential candidate Mikalai Statkevich is serving a prison term under it), Article 367, "Defamation of president" (journalist Pachobut was sentenced to condition imprisonment under it). According to the draft bill, the amnesty also doesn't spread on malignant violators of the prison regime. This status has been attributed to most political prisoners, including the head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Ales Bialiatski.

A significant event, aimed at improving the human rights situation in Belarus, took place on 27 June in Geneva. The UN Human Rights Council considered the Belarusian question and drafted a proposed a resolution, developed by the European Union mission to the UN. The draft resolution contains a recommendation to Belarusian authorities to respect human rights, release political prisoners, introduce a moratorium on the death penalty and to fully cooperate with all UN mechanisms. It also recommends establishing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus. During the discussion, the Permanent Representative of Belarus to the UN in Geneva, Mikhail Khvastou announced his intention to "take into account" the views expressed by the UN Human Rights Council, an at the same time stated that "there is no doubt about that the EU is trying to impose on the Council and the High Commissioner its demands on Belarus". "Belarus does not need a special rapporteur", said Mikhail Khvastou. "Belarus asks the Council to vote against this idea. With the termination of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Belarus, in 2007 our country started a dynamic development of relations with the UN treaty bodies, the Council and its topical mandates and the Universal Periodic Review procedure. We have worked hard to overcome the destructive effects of the Special Rapporteur's work and build a constructive relationship with the UN human rights mechanisms." In her turn, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Piley, who had presented a review criticizing the situation in Belarus short before, stressed: "I have already mentioned that Belarusian government invited the special rapporteurs on the cultural, social, economic arrangements, but did not respond to requests of the special rapporteurs on human rights and other issues"."

 

The High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Belarusian government to "do everything possible to ensure that the forthcoming parliamentary elections conform to international norms and standards".

 

As for the electoral campaign, a very important circumstance that determines the social atmosphere in the country ahead of the elections to the House of Representatives, appointed on 23 September, is the existence of political prisoners – the Human Rights Center "Viasna" recognized 14 citizens of Belarus as political prisoners at the time of announcement of the elections. There was a possibility that the current economic and international situation would allow Belarusian authorities to stay in conflict with the European Union, bargaining for more substantial concessions. This meant that some political prisoners would still remain in custody, which could become the reason for withdrawal of a part of opposition candidates from the election race.

 

 

Political prisoners. Politically motivated criminal prosecution

The issue of political prisoners escalated on 21 June due to the arrest of Hrodna correspondent of the Polish daily "Gazeta Wyborcza" Andrei Pachobut on a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code (defamation against the President), brought by Hrodna Region Investigative Committee, in accordance with the materials of inspection by Hrodna Region KGB Department. The audit of the KGB concluded that a number of publications by Andrei Pachobut in some online resources contained "slanderous remarks against President Lukashenka." Part 2 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code envisages up to 5 years of imprisonment. At present Andrei Pachobut is serving a term of conditional imprisonment for 3 years with the determent of sentence for 2 years in accordance with the verdict handed down by Leninski District Court of Hrodna on 5 July 2011 for libel against President (Part 1 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code). Persecution of Andrei Pachobut is regarded as reprisals against journalists for their professional activities and a demonstrative threat to the entire journalistic community on the eve of the parliamentary elections. On 30 June Andrei Pachobut was released from the remand prison under a written recognizance not to leave the city.

 

On 8 June it became known from a letter of human rights defender Ales Bialiatski that the head of Minsk City Court dismissed his application for supervisory review lodged against the sentence of the Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk and the ruling of the college board of the Minsk City Court. The human rights defender faced an increased pressurization on the part of the administration of the colony – he received three penalties and was eventually recognized as a malignant violator of the regime of punishment. Ales Bialiatski didn't sign a written undertaking to mend his ways (which would mean that he confessed his guilt), he doesn't participate in the amateur artistic society and has a financial debt (on 29 March Pershamaiski District Court of Minsk decided to exact from him more than 140 million rubles of fine for late payment of the amount of the alleged tax debt. Due to all these circumstances, his long-term meeting with wife was reduced to 1 day instead of 3, she was allowed to pass him 15 kilos of foodstuffs instead of 30 and wasn't allowed to pass spare 5 kilos of fruit and vegetables allowed during the summer period.

 

On 27 June the UN Human Rights Committee registered a complaint filed on behalf of Ales Bialiatski by his wife Natallia Pinchuk and Antoine Bernard, Director General of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). The complaint appeals: the unlawful restrictions on freedom of association, including the refusals of Belarus to issue official registration to the civil association "Viasna" in 2007 and 2009, an official warning issued to Ales Bialiatski by the General Procuracy for activities on behalf of the unregistered association in 2011 and his criminal punishment for alleged tax evasion of the funds received and spent for legitimate purposes of the Human Rights Center "Viasna"; violations of the right to a fair trial; violation of the rights to liberty and security in the application and extension of the preventive measure of detention during the preliminary investigation and the consideration of the criminal case against A. Bialiatski in court.

 

On 18 June Vitsebsk activist of the Conservative Christian Party "Belarusian Popular Front" Siarhei Kavalenka, punished with 2 years and 1 months of imprisonment for alleged violation of the regime of personal restraint, was put in a penal cell in Mahiliou colony #19 where he is serving the prison term. The alleged reason was that he had a conflict with other prisoners. A special discriminative regime was applied towards Mr. Kavalenka by the colony administration: his bedside table was checked up, he was subject to a personal supervision and was not allowed to visit the athletic ground. Two violations of the prison regime have been put in his record.

 

On 27 June a former presidential candidate, political prisoner Mikalai Statkevich was placed in the penal isolator of Mahiliou prison #4 for 10 days. Most probably, it was connected to the prisoner's reaction to a provocation against him, when a HIV-positive man was put into his cell and cut his wrists two times. The public also became aware of the attempts of the prison administration to declare Statkevich suicidal. Earlier, the former presidential candidate was declared "a persistent violator of the prison regime, prone to attack and escape".

 

 

Harassment of human rights defenders

On 11 June the deputy head of the Human Rights Center "Viasna" Valiantsin Stefanovich received a negative response from Minsk City Court to his claim for bringing disciplinary proceedings against Judge Alena Siamak who had ignored the terms of consideration of his complaint, established by the Civil Process Code of the Republic of Belarus. On 26 March Valiantsin Stefanovich had applied to the Tsentralny District Court to appeal the unlawful foreign travel restrictions imposed on him. As far as the legal term for considering such appeals, established by the Civil Process Code, is one month, the judge was to have considered the case by 26 April. However, she failed to do it. In the answer, received by Mr. Stefanovich from Minsk City Court, its head Uladzmir Putsyla wrote that the judge "was busy". On 26 June Mr. Stefanovich phoned to Tsentralny District Court of Minsk in order to find whether the judge was still busy, and was told that she and court secretary were on vacations till 13 July.

 

Valiantsin Stefanovich also received a response from the Investigative Committee, to which he applied with a request to bring a criminal case as he had a suspicion that his name was put in the database of foreign travel restricted as a result of purposeful criminal actions, possibly including forgery. The head of the department of work with citizens' applications Mikalai Daniliuk answered that bringing such a case was outside the competence of the Investigative Committee.

 

On 21 June the head of the informational and educational institution "Platform" Andrei Bandarenka was summonsed to Minsk City Procuracy and issued with a warning for alleged discredit of the Republic of Belarus. The reason for the warning was the address of the "Platform" to the International Ice Hockey Federation with the request not to hold the IIHF World Championship in 2014 in Belarus, unless the political prisoners are released and the repression against human rights defenders, journalists and civil Community is stopped. The procuracy found that this appeal contained "false information about the political and social situation of the Republic of Belarus and the legal status of citizens in the Republic of Belarus discrediting the Republic of Belarus or its agencies".

 

On 22 June the hearings on the appeal of human rights defender Hary Pahaniaila against the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Justice ended at Maskouski District Court of Minsk. The head of the MIA citizenship and migration department apologized to Hary Pahaniaila on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the erroneous inclusion of his surname in the list of restricted to travel abroad and brought to the court a certificate stating that Hary Pahanyaila had been excluded from the database. Though the actions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were found unlawful, the court refused to prosecute the officials who had included the human rights defender in the list, thus limiting his constitutional rights.

 

 

Politically motivated conscription and deprivation of the right to alternative civilian service

On 8 June Judge of the Lida District Court Yarmakovich considered an appeal of Andrei Charnavusau in which he asked the court to protect his right to alternative civilian service, guaranteed by the Constitution against the unlawful decision of the draft board, according to which he was called up into the army. The interests of the draft board were presented by three members, including the head. The trial lasted for about 90 minutes. A special emphasis was made on Andrei's views that didn't let him serve in the army. In the end, the court upheld the decision of the draft board, referring to the mechanism of alternative civilian service. Andrei Charnavusau said he would appeal the verdict at Hrodna Region Court.

 

On 14 June a hearing on an appeal of "Young Front" activist Mikhail Muski (unlawfully drafted in the army) took place at Niasvizh District Court. The youngster was forcibly sent to the army from a temporary detention facility and will serve in a military union in Lepel district. He appealed the actions of Niasvizh draft board which didn't grant his request to be assigned to alternative civilian service. The first hearing took place on 1 June. As far as Mikhail Muski wasn't taken to court this day, Judge Maryna Dunayeva ruled that he was to be called there for the next hearing. Bear in mind that Mikhail Muski and some other activists of the "Young Front" were detained after the street rally "Chernobyl Rally" on 26 April in Minsk. The following day Mikhail was sentenced to 15 days of arrest by Savetski District Court of Minsk. He was to have been released on 11 May, but was sentenced to 5 more days of arrest by Maskouski District Court... During the 14 June sitting the judge turned the activist's appeal down. The political prisoner was to have taken military oath on 16 June, but refused to make it in protest.

 

Though the right to alternative civilian service is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian legislation still has no laws which would regulate it.

 

 

Torture and cruel treatment

On 5 June the head of the Standing Committee on Legislation and Judicial Affairs of the House of Representatives M. Samaseika informed civil activists from Salihorsk that the notion of torture will appear in the Belarusian legislation. This was a response to the appeal of several Salihorsk for the introduction of the concept of "torture" and punishment of this crime in the Belarusian legislation. They also demanded that the MPs start working out a law against torture.

On 14 June the head of the human rights center "Legal Assistance to Population" Aleh Volchak addressed the UN Special Rapporteur on torture with a request to visit the detention facility of the Main Police Department of Minsk city Executive Committee, where prisoners are kept in appalling, inhumane conditions. The human rights activist (who served two arrest terms in this facility in 2012) asked the Special Rapporteur on Torture to to demand from Belarus to bring conditions of detention in this prison in line with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

On 18 June the informational and educational institution "Platform" presented in Minsk a monitoring report concerning the conditions in the prisons of the Republic of Belarus in 2011-2012. As stated by the head of the "Platform" Andrei Bandarenka, the reason for this was reports about the increase of cases of violation of prisoners' rights and disregard of the appropriate complaints by the supervisory organs. "Last year we reported about facts of cruel treatment and beating of prisoners in at least two colonies – in Hlybokaye and Ivatsevichy. The prisoners were beaten so violently that they had to be operated in civil hospitals. Nevertheless, the procuracy answered all our applications by saying that the described facts weren't confirmed during its examinations. At the same time, the prisoners who were released from these colonies confirmed these facts and stated they had told the examining officers about them."

 

On 28 June the mother of Pavel Plaksa, whose son was arrested on suspicion of committing a theft in Minsk, reported about the use of torture and ill-treatment towards her son. Officers of Leninski District Police Department of Minsk regularly and violently beat him for three days, extorting a confession. He was beaten with fists and kicked with feet. The police jumped on his back, repeatedly made "swallow" (clenched his hands handcuffed behind his back and put his legs between the back and the arms, fixing them with wire and beat him with batons while he lied down on the floor. When they were getting tired of beating him, they put a bag on his head, blocking the air. Beating was used in turns with psychological pressurization: the policemen threatened to arrest Pavel's civil common-law wife and put his two-month child in hospital. The atrocity exhibition was stopped only in presence of investigators and lawyers. The intensity of the torture can be witnessed by the frequency of the calls to ambulance: 31 May, 1 and 2 June. In the end the medics took Pavel to clinical hospital #5. As it was impossible to hide the traces of beating and the suspect was unable to take part in the investigative experiments, a forensic examination was conducted. The parents of Pavel Plaksa appealed the groundless use of physical force and severe torture in various state organs. They passed the appropriate information to the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives on human rights, national affairs and media, the main board of MIA own security and Leninski District Procuracy of Minsk. The latter forwarded their address to Leninski District Investigative Committee. Investigator I. Mukasei wrote that "your statement concerning unlawful actions of officers of the Leninski District Police Department of Minsk towards your son was attached to materials of the examination of 8 June. You will be sent additional information about the results of the examination."

 

 

Administrative prosecution of social and political activists, arbitrary detentions

On 1 June, the opening day of the festival of national cultures in Hrodna, police arrested 21 people, participants of a picket in defense of the secondary school №36, in which the authorities intended to abolish the Polish language of instruction. Most of the detainees were given charges. The same day Ihar Bantsar was taken to court, where Judge Kseniya Stasiukevich sentenced him to 13 days of administrative arrest. The sentence may have been given to him right after the detention so that no one would see the traces of beating on his face. Other detainees were tried later. On 6 June Judge Natallia Kozel fined journalist Hrazhyna Shalkevich 5 million rubles (about $605) for alleged participation in the picket. Another journalist, Yuliya Kaliada, was fined 2.5 million rubles, pensioner Henryka Stremalkouskaya – 1.7 million rubles (about $206), Stanislava Tsivunchuk – 2 million rubles (about $242), Irena Miklash – 1.5 million (about $182). An occasional passer-by, Piatro Tabola, who tried to defend a woman during the forced detention, was sentenced to a fined of 2.3 million rubles (about $278). On 7 June the judge of the Leninski District Court Natallia Kozel sentenced Edvard Dmukhouski to a fine of 4.5 million rubles (about $545).

 

On 5 June an activist of the "Our House" campaign Tatsiana Yakauleva, who was going to attend a children's contest on fishing and a local history walking tour in the settlement of Kokhanava, was detained by police, allegedly on suspicion in carrying TNT. She was guarded to Orsha District Police Department, where a search was conducted. As a result, it was found out that the activist was carrying 29 T-shirts with the logo "Our House" and a few flickers, but no TNT. The policemen had to let her go in three hours.

 

On 21 June the activists of the campaign "Tell the Truth!" Aliaksandr Artsybashau and Pavel Vinahradau were detained in Minsk. A. Artsybashau was detained in Niamiha Street at about 1.00 p.m., shortly before a political flash mob with the participation of plush toys, "We have come to be imprisoned again" with plush toys. Pavel Vinahradau was detained in his own apartment at about 10 p.m. The detentions were conducted by officers of Tsentralny District Police Department of Minsk who refused to give any explanations. P. Vinahradau was taken to the delinquents' isolation center in Akrestsin Street in Minsk. On 22 June the activists were tried at Tsentralny District Court of Minsk on charges of "disorderly conduct", Article 17.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Judge Veranika Tkachova sentenced A. Artsybashau to 15 days of arrest and Judge Maksim Tserashkou issued the same sentence to P. Vinahradau.

 

In the afternoon of 26 June the police detained civil activist Ivan Amelchanka near his house. On 27 June he was sentenced to 15 days of arrest for "using obscene language in public" (Article 17.1 of the CAO). This arrest became the continuation of the ruthless revenge to Ivan for his performance during the "Chernobyl Way" rally, at which he stood next to a plain-clothed police cameraman, holding a poster with the inscription "Musorok" ("Copper"). After the performance, the police kept looking for him, disturbing his parents and stating that they wanted him to give explanations concerning the "mass riot" criminal case of 19 December 2010. As a result, on 15 May he came to the police on his own. He was charged with disorderly conduct and sentenced to 15 days of arrest. On 30 May he was to have been released from jail. Instead, he was taken to Maskouski District Police Department, where he was again charged under Article 17.1 and subsequently sentenced to 10 days of arrest. Thus, he spent 40 days in prison during two months.

 

In the morning of 30 June the police started arresting the most active members of youth movements. At 7 a.m. they took Vital Vasilkou, an activist from the youth wing of "Tell the Truth!", "Zmena", away from home and guarded him to Frunzenski District Police Department. He was charged under Article 17.1. The trial was led by a judge of Frunzenski District Court of Minsk, Liudmila Lapo. She dismissed all petitions of Vasilkou's lawyer, including the petition for viewing the materials of the video registration (because the police witnesses claimed that he had committed the offense at the police department). The activist was sentenced to 5 days of arrest.

 

The same morning the police came to Ales Krot's sister's home, looking for him. At 7.30 a.m. police also paid a visit to an activist of Belarusian National-Bolsheviks Dzmitry Paliyenka, but he was away from home. They allegedly wanted to question him about a fight which had allegedly taken place near his porch at 3 a.m. However, according to Dzmitry's information, none of his neighbors were questioned. The police also tried to get into the apartments of some other activists of the National-Bolshevik movement. Policemen in mufti also kept waiting for them at the entrance of the apartments for a long time.

 

 

Restrictions on freedom of speech and the right to impart information, persecution of journalists

On 1 June in Gorky Park in Minsk police detained TV journalists Tatsiana Belashova and Volha Chaichyts who were making a report on the occasion of Children's Day. The detainees were taken to the Partyzanski District Police Department where they had to give explanations. After this a KGB officer came to came to the police department and said he wanted to talk to each of the women. As he refused to introduce himself, the journalists refused to talk to him. They were released from the police department about three hours after the detention.

On 6 June the Kastrychnitski District Court of Vitsebsk considered the administrative case of Siarhei Kandakou. He was tried on the basis of a violation report, which was drawn by the police on 2 May (he was detained for throwing copies of the "Vitebskiy Kuryer" newspaper (officially registered in the Russian city of Smolensk) into postboxes). The judge Ina Hrabouskaya found him guilty under Part 2 of Article 22.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, "Unlawful distribution of mass media" and sentenced him to a fine of 2 million rubles.

On 10 a.m. on 22 June Pavel Sviardlou, a journalist of the "European Radio for Belarus", was detained by five people in mufti and pulled into a police bus without getting any explanations. At 2 p.m. he phoned to the editorial office of the radio and stated he was at the Maskouski District Court of Minsk. The same day the judge Tatsiana Matyl sentenced him to 15 days of imprisonment for "using obscene language in public" (Article 17.1 of the CAO). Mr. Sviardlou was tried in the absence of his lawyer, who wasn't admitted to the court room as the journalist had allegedly refused from his services. The lawyer was told that he would be given an opportunity to study the case materials after the announcement of the verdict.


Restrictions of freedom of assembly

On 6 June human rights defender Uladzimir Malei, who had applied to the Malaryta District Executive Committee for authorization of the Picket "For Fair elections without Lukashenka", received a negative answer. In a letter signed by deputy chairman of the executive committee Vadzim Shpetny it is stated that according to the Law "On mass events" it is not permitted to conduct such activities within 50 meters of the buildings of executive and administrative bodies, whereas the applicant intended to hold the picket in front of the House of Culture where the culture department of the Malaryta DEC and the registry office are situated. In addition, Vadzim Shpetny pointed that according to the Law "On mass events" the source of financing of the action was to be indicated in the application. On 15 May Uladzimir Malei filed an appeal against the picket ban to the Malaryta District Court.

 

On 12 June the judge of the Leninski District Court of Hrodna Ala Bausuk considered an appeal of an activist of the United Civil Party Siarhei Lis against the prohibition of the picket he intended to hold on 15 May. The hearing lasted for 30 minutes. The appeal was turned down. The interests of the defendant, the Leninski District Executive Committee of Hrodna, were represented by lawyer Leanid Zhuk. Siarhei Lis solicited for the admission of Aliaksandra Vasilevich as his representative at the trial, but the judge didn't grant the motion.

 

On 18 June the civil activist Ryhor Hryk received a letter signed by the deputy head of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee Dz. Kastsiukevich, by which he was informed about the prohibition of the picket "Stop repressive actions of authorities and officials", which he intended to hold on 24 June. The Baranavichy City Executive Committee is of the opinion that the applicant violated Article 6 of the Law "On Mass Events". However, the ideologist of the Baranavichy CEC Siarhei Piatsihortsau refused to tell the activist which norm of the article was violated in this case.

 

On 19 June the hearings on the appeal of the head of the Hrodna city organization of the United Civil Party Aliaksandra Vasilevich against a picket ban issued by the Hrodna City Executive Committee came to an end. She intended to hold the picket on an anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe, 26 April, in order to commemorate the victims and draw public attention to issues of nuclear security and ecology related to the construction of a nuclear power plant in the town of Astravets. The judge Liudmila Zhukouskaya upheld the legality of the picket ban and dismissed Vasilevich's appeal.

On 24 June the Vitsebsk human rights defender Pavel Levinau received a negative reply from the Kastrychnitski District Executive Committee of Vitsebsk. He intended to hold three pickets on 26 June, the International Day against Torture, in order to inform citizens about hte implementation of the Convention against against Torture, Cruel and Degrading Treatment, and applied to three executive committees, Kastrychnitski, Pershamaiski and Chyhunachny for the authorization of the actions. According to the law he was to received answers from them at least five days before the action. However, he received only a late answer from the Kastrychnitski DEC and no answers at all from the other two.

 

On 24 June civil activist Ryhor Hryk received a letter signed by the deputy head of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee Dz. Kastsiukevich, in which it was stated that the executive committee didn't authorize the picket "For elections according to the laws and the Constitution" on 1 June, as he allegedly violated the Law "On mass events". However, the committee's ideologist Siarhei Piatsihortsau again didn't wrote which norm of the article was violated by the applicant. Mr. Hryk tried to implement all requirements of the law. In his application he indicated the aim and the kind of the action, its place and date, the source of financing (personal means) and the intended number of participants (3 people) and concluded service agreements with police, communal utilities and medics.

 

On 30 June the Orsha authorities again refused to authorize an action of the Belarusian Leftist Party "Fair World". For the fourth time in recent months, activists of the party have filed an application for holding pickets against the deterioration of living standards. They intended to hold the pickets in the places which had been officially determined for such actions by the authorities. It's worth mentioning that according to the rules which were established by the Orsha City Executive Committee, one can file an application for a rally or a picket only together with written service agreements with police, communal utilities and medics. The communal utilities concluded such agreement with the "Fair Worlds", whereas the chief medic of the Orsha central polyclinic Uladzimir Plytkevich stated he would do it only after the action was authorized by the authorities, who, in their turn, refused to authorize it due to the absence of the service agreement.