UN Human Rights Committee receives another complaint against Salihorsk executive committee

Salihorsk opposition activist Uladzimir Shyla submitted a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee to contest a ban on a Freedom Day picket imposed by Salihorsk district executive committee in March.

The activist has been trying to find the truth at the national level. In April 2013, Uladzimir Shyla filed a complaint to the court of Salihorsk district, but the local judiciary sided with the officials. In late May, the activist filed a cassation appeal to the Minsk Regional Court. However, the court refused to restore the violated rights. The Constitutional Court did not help in the matter, either.

After all the internal means of an effective and affordable legal protection have been exhausted, the activist decided to search for justice at the international level. With the support of local human rights defenders of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, he prepared a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Uladzimir Shyla asks the Committee to find a violation of his rights by the Republic of Belarus in accordance with Paragraph 2 of Article 19 (freedom of expression) and Article 21 (freedom of assembly) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The activist also wants the Committee to recommend Belarus to pay him compensation for the damages caused by the violation of his rights.