Minsk authorities ban another picket

Minsk city executive committee has banned a picket applied for by a civil campaign against lawlessness of courts and prosecuting authorities.

The picket was scheduled for 13 September and was expected to be held under the banners “Officials! Stop Fooling the People!”, “Bring Swindlers to Justice!”, “Let’s Make Officials Implement the Constitution!” and others.

According to the campaign’s lawyer Tamara Siarhei, the ban signed by deputy chairman of the executive committee Ihar Karpenka says that the picket does not meet the requirements of Art. 9 of the Mass Events Code. Apart from that, it could reportedly interfere with the movement of pedestrians outside the Town Hall.

“The official failed to specify which provisions of Art. 9 were violated by our application. I believe it is out slogans that are the actual reasons for the ban. For six years, the campaign has been protecting citizens’ rights, while people keep receiving round-about replies to their appeals. The numerous incidents are a violation of Art. 40 of the Constitution. Moreover, having failed to provide answers to our questions, representatives of the Presidential Administration stopped correspondence with us. The same has been done by the officials of the Supreme Court. By issuing this ban, the authorities show that in this country the power belongs to officials, not to the people,” says Mrs. Siarhei.