Young Democrats Leader Lodges Complaint With UN Against Belarusian Authorities

The activist defends her right for holding a picket against “electoral” fraud.

On June 1 the leader of the Young Democrats of the United Civil Party Alena Lutskovich sent an individual address to the UN Human Rights Committee, writes gomelspring.org.

What is meant here is a daring picket held by her right after the presidential “elections” in the regional centre Kastrychnitski, Homel region, when she came to the market with a poster “I have evidence that elections had been rigged!”

Alena’s actions were treated as an unsanctioned mass event in a form of a rally, a report was drawn up against her, and the administrative case was taken to the court. Judge of Kastrychnitski district Uladzimir Vasileuski found the leader of the Young Democrats guilty of violation of the order of organizing and holding a mass event, and sentenced her to a huge administrative fine.

According to Lutskovich, while her case was heard at the court, her rights guaranteed by Belarus, which had signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, were violated.

However Kastrychnitski district court, and chairmen of higher courts as well, refused to treat her actions proceeding from the norms of the International Covenant when studying her complaints, though the arguments presented in her complaints were relevant and substantial.

Alena Lutskovich asks the UN Committee to consider her address, and having established a fact of violation of the right for expression of opinion, to recommend the government of Belarus to bring the norms of the national law “On Mass Events” into accordance with the Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.