Activists Show Police Their Proper Place With Help Of Committee For Human Rights In Geneva

The Baranavichy activists are convinced that they are right and believe in victory.

On June 15, 2017 Baranavichy activists of the movement "For Freedom" Uladzimir Hundar and Yury Kazakevich appealed to the Human Rights Committee in Geneva with a complaint note against the illegal actions of the Baranavichy police and the court of Baranavichy district and Baranavichy, which subjected them to administrative responsibility under Part 3 of Article 23.34 of the Administrative Code for the fact that they were collecting signatures for giving a white-red-white flag the status of non-material historical and cultural value.

According to the "Brest Spring", the activists appealed for help in the Baranavichy Branch of the HRC "Viasna". Human rights activists Siarhei Housha and Aliaksandr Vaitseshyk provided the necessary legal assistance.

Hundar and Kazakevich tried to prove in the police and in the court that the law “On Mass Events” cannot be applied to the collection of signatures, it would contradict the international law, thus they didn’t apply for holding a mass event. In their complaint, the activists stressed that the police did not react to their actions straightaway. The police drew the administrative offence charges against them after some time.

The appeal to the Brest regional court, and to the presiding judge of that very court brought no result. The resolution was “left unchanged, the complaint wasn’t satisfied”.

The activists disagreed with the decisions of the courts of both the first and the second instance and therefore addressed to the Committee for Human Rights in Geneva. The activists are convinced that they are right and believe in victory.

HR defenders from Baranavichy will continue rendering them any necessary assistance.