Mahiliou Regional Court confirms picket ban
Mahiliou Regional Court considered today an appeal lodged by local leader of the United Civil Party Uladzimir Shantsau to challenge a ban on holding a picket on December 19, 2012 imposed by the city executive committee and later upheld by Leninski District Court.
As a result, the Court ruled to consider the ban as legal.
Meanwhile, Uladzimir Shantsau says that all the initiatives of the city’s democratic forces are facing discrimination.
“On March 1, activists of the BRSM (Belarusian National Youth Union) held their event outside the city’s diagnostic center. There was no police, no doctors or representatives of public utilities, as well as no special permission for the event. We filmed it on video. Why can they hold events in the city center, while it is forbidden to us? Besides, why should we pay all the costs to the mentioned services, and why shouldn’t they?” says the outraged politician.
Uladzimir Shantsau says that the ban on the picket will be appealed to a higher court.
On December 19, 2012, the UCP activists wanted to stage 10 pickets in the city center. By doing this, they wanted to mark the second anniversary of the events which took place in Minsk in 2010, and to draw people’s attention to how the authorities privatize state-owned enterprises, thereby selling people’s property without considering the interests of ordinary citizens.
Uladzimir Shantsau was the only activist who decided to appeal the ban.
