Zhodzina: human rights defenders remind the authorities about the Constitution and apply to court
On 30 July human rights defender Aliaksei Lapitski
registered at the Zhodzna City Executive Committee a new application with
questions to the administration which again banned a picket he intended to hold
on 4 August to support the imprisoned human rights defender Ales Bialiatski.
In such circumstances the human rights defenders propose the Zhodzina City
Executive Committee to think twice, abolish its decision and fully authorize
the action.
In the application it is stated that the motivation of the picket ban (“the
filed documents don't meet the requirements of Article 6 of the Law of the
Republic of Belarus “On mass events in the Republic of Belarus”” as “public
order and security and medical serving of a mass event must be conducted by the
police and a health care institution”) is incomprehensible.
In his application the human rights defender explains to the deputy head of the
executive committee Yury Shary (who had banned the action) that “in their
written guarantees, attached to the application for holding a small picket
(consisting of 1-2, maximum – 10 persons, the applicants undertook to implement
their duties as organizers and participants of this peaceful event, and also
proposed to the executive committee and the appropriate state agencies,
coordinated by it, to implement their part of duties according to Articles 33
and 35 of the Constitution and Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights concerning the provision of security during the
event will it be duly authorized.”
The applicants also stated that “during the previous court hearing on a similar
issue the court determined the circumstances in which such law-enforcement and
health-care institutions can react to direct appeals of citizens”. Thus,
authorization of an action by the executive committee is a sufficient condition
for the implementation of their duties by these institutions.”
In such circumstances the applicants propose the Zhodzina City Executive
Committee to think twice, abolish its decision and fully authorize the event.
According to prava-by.info, Aliaksei Lapitski simultaneously registered at the
Zhodzina District Court an appeal against the unlawful actions of officers of
the Zhodzina District Executive Committee which violate the constitutional
rights to freedom of opinion, distribution of information and peaceful
assembly. The application was accepted and registered at the court chancellery.
