Human rights defender urges Supreme Court to punish Baranavichy judges
Human rights defender Siarhei Housha filed today a statement to the office of the Chairman of the Supreme Court, with a demand to prosecute a number of judges of Baranavichy City and District Court.
It’s been four months now since Siarhei Housha started seeking administration of justice in the
city court and Brest Regional Court in his administrative lawsuit in the Belarusian
language.
Judges Piatrou and Kmita keep sending
Siarhei Housha judicial documents in Russian,
despite the fact that he, both in writing and orally, asked the judges to send
letters in Belarusian.
In
his statement addressed to the President of the Supreme Court, the activist
argues that in accordance with Article 4 of the Law "On Languages in the
Republic of Belarus” government officials have to know the Belarusian and
Russian languages to the extent necessary for the performance of their
official responsibilities. In
accordance with Article 26 of the Law "On State Service in the Republic of
Belarus", a proper command of the national languages is a qualifying
requirement for entry to the civil service, says the human rights defender. Siarhei
Housha stresses that a
similar provision is enshrined in Par. 3 Art. 2.11
of the Procedural-Executive Code on Administrative Offences of the Republic of
Belarus, under which a court order issued to a person being a defendant in an
administrative trial should be translated into his or her native language or
the language he or she speaks.
Therefore, Siarhei Housha, guided by Art. 111,
115 of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Judicial System and the Status of
Judges, urges the Chairman of the Supreme Court to oblige Baranavichy District
Court to issue decrees of 04.09.2012, 13.09.2012 and 19.10.2012 (decisions
to initiate proceedings) in the Belarusian language and consider applying disciplinary
proceedings against judges Piatrou and Kmita of Baranavichy City and District Court.