Homel Activist Sues City Executive Committee

He is seeking permission to hold a street procession in support of Anna Krasulina.

December 17, a Homel activist filed a complaint against the city executive committee to the court of the Central District of Homel. The city executive committee banned a street procession on December 18, which the activist intended to hold in order to protest against the expulsion from Belarus of the press-secretary of the United Civil Party Anna Krasulina, Homel Viasna writes.

“I intend to draw the attention of the authorities and the public to the fact that it's unacceptable to commit political lynching against Krasulina, who, although being a citizen of Russia, has been living in our country for more than 20 years. She has everything here – her family, children, parents. She simply has nowhere to go in case of expulsion from the country. Why does the government need this?” – the initiator Uladzimir Niapomniashchyh explains the goals of the banned mass event.

The city executive committee banned the street march, as the applicant “failed to meet the requirements of a local decree on the procedure for holding mass events in the city.” The oppositionist and the like-minded people wanted to protest in the city center along Savetskaya Street, while local officials designated three places on the outskirts of the regional center for such events. In addition, the applicant did not conclude a contract for medical care for the participants of the procession and did not decide the issue of who would clean up the territory after his procession.