Salihorsk human rights defender appeals ban on Human Rights Day picket
Leanid Markhotka, Salihorsk representative of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee.
Human rights activist Leanid Markhotka has sent to the court of Salihorsk district an appeal against a ban imposed by local officials on a picket that was scheduled for Human Rights Day. Prior to this, Mr. Markhotka wrote to the prosecutor, but that attempt failed.
In his complaint to the court, the human rights activist says that the reason for the ban was a decision of the Salihorsk district executive committee entitled “On measures to prevent accidents and rule of law during mass events”. The text of this decision, for unknown reasons, is still a secret. Meanwhile, the procedure and the organization of mass events in Belarus are not regulated by some mysterious decisions, but by the law “On Mass Events”, argues the human rights defender. However, the ban received by Mr. Markhotka from the authorities did not mention the Act at all. Nor did it specify any arguments for the need to ban the picket.
Referring to the domestic law, the Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which was ratified by Belarus, Leanid Markhotka asks the court to reverse the decision of the executive committee. Also, Mr. Markhotka asks the court to compel local officials to agree on a new date for the picket.
