Baranavichy authorities ban picket for election reform

Baranavichy civil activist Ryhor Hryk has received a letter from the city executive committee, saying that his application for staging a picket to demand a reform of the country’s electoral legislation has been dismissed under Art.5 of the Mass Events Code.

The official reply signed by deputy chair of the committee Mr. Kastsiukevich says that the Code prohibits holding mass events in the city’s old park. This is a sixth ban on holding pickets faced by the activist this year.

However, the authorities failed to specify the exact provision violated by the activist.

“By my picket I wanted to express my protest against the decision to deny registration to Dzmitry Uss’s campaign for amending the electoral legislation. People should know that we have civil activists who wish to change the electoral laws for the better, while the authorities resist this,” says Ryhor Hryk.