Organizer of Milavidy Festival faces third administrative penalty

The organizer of the Milavidy Festival in honor of the rebels of 1863, Viktar Syrytsa, is facing another administrative charge for preparing and carrying out an unauthorized open-air event.

Earlier, we reported that the chairman of the court of Baranavichy, Mikalai Kmit, twice sent the police reports back to the police station for revision.

“This is the third police report, which was compiled at Baranavichy police department. First, I was accused of committing an administrative offense under Par. 2, Art. 23.34 of the Administrative Code (organizing and conducting an unauthorized event) on June 2. In the second report, I was accused of violating Art. 12 of the Law “On Mass Events in the Republic of Belarus”, as I reportedly failed to stop preparations and staged a public event on June 2, which was banned by Baranavichy district executive committee,” says Viktar Syrytsa.

The third police report does not claim that the activist violated Art. 12 of the Law "On Mass Events”, but he has accused of violating Art. 5 of the same Act (organization and holding of a banned public event).

“Not only that they themselves did not do anything, but on May 3 and May 20 the executive committee twice illegally banned the festival in honor of Kastus Kalinouski’s rebels. I believe that we are not breaking the law, while the executive committee fails to implement Art. 51 of the Constitution of Belarus, not providing us with a state-guaranteed right to participate in cultural life,” says the activist.

Viktar Syrytsa signed the police report, but made a remark that he came to Milavidy on June 2 not to hold, but only to participate in an official event.