Brest Regional Court upholds the ban on a picket in Biaroza

Brest Regional Court dismissed the appeal of human rights defenders from Biaroza, who asked to recognize as illegal the ban on the picket they intended to hold on 4 August, and reverse the decision of the Biaroza District Court, which declared the decision of the Executive Committee lawful. According to human rights activist Siarhei Rusetski, the ban on the picket in support of political prisoners violated the constitutional right to freely express their views and opinions.

The formal reason for the picket ban was tha failure of the organizers to enter into service contracts with the police and the hospital. Both the district and the regional court ignored the arguments of the human rights defenders concerning the impossibility to enter into contracts with these institutions. Police referred to the Ruling of the Council of Ministers No. 207 of 2012, paragraph 5 which states that durijng one day after receiving an application for a mass event the executive committee shall send a copy of the application to the police for coordination (which the executive committee did not do). Biaroza hospital didn't sign a contract because it is not provided by the documents of the Health Ministry and there is no price list for such services.

The judges also ignored the fact that the executive committee violated the terms of response.

The human rights activists say they will continue appealing to the national courts. If necessary, they will also send a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee.