Biaroza human rights activists seek amendment of regulation on mass events

Biaroza human rights defenders T. Shchapiotkina and Siarhei Rusetski have been struggling with Biaroza District Executive Committee for almost a year, trying to exercise their civil right to picketing, one of the obstacles to which is the regulation of the executive committee on mass events, adopted back in 2009.

This regulation hasn't been put in line with the regulation of the Council of Ministers No. 207, according to which after receiving an application for a mass event the executive committee appeals to the police within a day to agree upon for the protection of order on events.

In April of this year, the human rights activists appealed to the Ministry of Justice and to Brest Regional Police Department, asking them to oblige the Biaroza DEC to amend its regulation. They were answered that the problem would be resolved. According to an answer from the Ministry of Justice, signed by the first deputy minister A. Bileichyk, and an answer from the Brest RPD, signed by its head V. Uhlianitsa, the regulation of the executive committee must be aligned to the regulation of the Council of Ministers.

However, as the human rights activists found while preparing to the picket they intended to hold on July 27, it still hasn't been done. The police again answered that they couldn't enter into a service agreement with the picket organizers, as they were to receive an application from the executive committee according to the regulation of the Council of Ministers.

Thereafter, the human rights activists appealed at once to Brest Regional Executive Committee and Biaroza District Executive Committee in order to make the latter finally put its regulation in line with the document of the Council of Ministers.