In Pervomaisky district court of Vitebsk took consideration of the complaint Alexei Gavrutikov and Christopher Zhelyapau. They demanded to invalidate the ban Pervomajskaya city administration picket of solidarity with political prisoners, which did not take place on December 10. The court refused to activists.

The reason for the ban picket Human Rights Day is the traditional: the lack of service contract actions. While activists and tried to sign the agreement by contacting the appropriate service two months before the planned event. They have been denied in the Regional Ministry of Internal Affairs and the city's clinic.

Coordinator of the movement "For Freedom" in the Vitebsk region Christopher Zhelyapau and activist organizing committee of the Belarusian Social Democratic Party " Narodnaya Gromada " Alex Gavrutikov applied for May Day in the administration of the regional center. And together with the application - copies of letters to enter into a contract addressed to the police, the city clinic and service utilities. With the last of the structure no problem - they agree to the contract. From police responded already after district authorities sent refusal, saying what to negotiate when the stock is already prohibited. From the central city polyclinic also a refusal: a service contract concluded impossible as winter all medical services work in hard mode, due to mass illness.

"We filed a complaint against the decision of the district administration, but asked to summon representatives from the police and clinics as stakeholders, - says Alexey Gavrutikov. - Listen to arguments like structures, whose failures because we are not the first time do not allow the action. But from the police is not one came, and the representatives of the new clinic offered us his invention: it turns out, the world does not enter into contracts, because we are too early to call him. Allegedly, they can not coordinate their actions with us, because we do not know their plans. so, we returned and two months before the alleged actions, and for 30 days and 20... They say that it would be good to 5. But the law requires that an application for action submitted at least 15 days. Moreover, it is necessary to immediately apply and contract for services. This is required under the relevant Executive Committee decisions."

For the duration of the Vitebsk City Council decision number 881 - and it's almost four years - in the regional center was not allowed any of the action initiated by local activists. Although applications have been filed about a hundred, but dealing with treaties " depended " inability to negotiate with the police and medics. Police always answers that will conclude contracts only if allowed to share. And doctors refer to a variety of excuses - from the inability to organize a vigil at the outbreak of seasonal diseases to the latest version of the impossibility to coordinate actions in advance.

Pervomajskij district court did not see in this situation is nothing unusual, and the complaint did not satisfy the activists, said Christopher Zhelyapau:

"The decision of the district administration to ban the action is deemed accurate and our claim - groundless. Turns out that the solution of the executive committee shall perform only applicants and government agencies, the police and the clinic can ignore it ? Because of this, our right to hold public events simply impossible to implement. And this created obstacles to the city authorities, who, having an impossible decision, refuse to change how we do not require. "...

Viasna Human Rights Center