Salihorsk human rights defender keeps opposing illegal travel ban threats
Leanid Markhotka, leader of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee’s Salihorsk office
In search of the truth in a dispute with Salihorsk public utility center, local human rights defender Leanid Markhotka lodged a statement with the prosecutor of Minsk region.
This spring, the officials printed announcements in utility bills on a list of travel bans reportedly to be enforced for persons who have not paid their utility bills for more than one month. They also promised to forward the black lists to the State Border Committee. In early summer, the illegal actions of the public utilities office were appealed to the Prosecutor’s Office of Salihorsk district, but the complaint was dismissed.
Leanid Markhotka believes that the response to his complaint was not considered on the merit by the District Prosecutor’s Office, “Instead of responding to the fact stated in my complaint, Salihorsk District Prosecutor's Office in the person of Prosecutor Belchyn acted as a counsel of the public utilities, providing clarifications to legal provisions.”
In his complaint to the Prosecutor of Minsk region, the human rights defender proves that the Law “On Prosecutor’s Office” does not provide for the prosecutor's office to take someone’s side or give explanations of the laws instead of responding to misconduct committed by individuals and legal entities or organizations.
On this basis and in view of the fact that the answer was not given on the merit of the complaint and in gross violation of the Law “On Prosecutor's Office”, the human rights defender urges the prosecutor of Minsk region to respond to illegal actions, or rather inaction, committed by the prosecutors of Salihorsk district.
