Ban on bike ride under white-red-white flags appealed to UN Human Rights Committee

Andrei Tychyna, activist of the Young Front’s Salihorsk office, submitted a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee against a ban on the bike ride in support of the Belarusian national symbols back in May 2012.

The complaint was prepared with assistance from the local office of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee. As a result, all the documents were sent to the Committee in late May.

In his complaint, the Young Front activist quotes the circumstances relating to the ban, and urges the Committee to recognize a violation of the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Par. 2, Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the right to peaceful assembly, as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Covenant.

Andrei Tychyna also requests that the UN Human Rights Committee recommended that the Republic of Belarus provided him with an effective remedy, including the reimbursement of the legal costs and appropriate compensation for the damage caused by the violation of his rights.

Back in May 2012, the representative of the Young Front’s Salihorsk branch submitted to the district executive committee a statement about a mass gathering on the occasion of the anniversary of the abolition of the official status of the white-red-white flag and the coat of arms “Pahonia”. Local authorities banned the peaceful event. In search of justice, Andrei Tychyna had to go through the court of Salihorsk region and Minsk Regional Court, but their decisions were not in favor of the young man. In addition, the courts significantly delayed the process, which prevented the Young Front member from seeking protection of his rights in international bodies.