Chernobyl events banned in Vitsebsk and Navapolatsk

Local authorities in Vitsebsk and Navapolatsk have banned a number of events scheduled to mark the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster on April 26. According to the officials, the organizers failed to submit an appropriate application.

Four representatives of the CCP BPF in Vitsebsk sent a request to the administration of the Chyhunachny district to hold a picket in the local park. However, the bid was rejected, as the applicants failed to attach copies of the contracts as required by the City Executive Committee’s decision. It says that the organizers must sign contracts with the police, public utilities and health care departments. But these services refuse to enter into contracts with the activists. So the activists requested that the authorities did not pay attention to the decision of the Vitsebsk City Executive Committee, but were directly guided by the Law “On Mass Events” and the Constitution. They say that the decision actually makes it impossible to exercise people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Over the past five years, not a single opposition activist has managed to sign agreements required by the Vitsebsk executive officials.

In Navapolatsk, a request to stage a picket on the Chernobyl tragedy memorial day was filed by Yauhen Parchynski. He eventually received a response from Deputy Mayor Albert Shakel, who wrote that the picket was banned, since the application was filed in violation of applicable laws.