Several dozen residents of Vitebsk signed the collective letter to the Council of Ministers to contribute to a change in the Vitebsk City Council decision number 881 of 10.07.2009, which governs the rules to the authorities with applications for street protests. Viteblyane also requested that the Council of Ministers initiated a petition to the Constitutional Court to verify compliance with this document of the Constitution.

Treatment initiated coordinator of the "For Freedom" by Christopher Zhelyapau Vitebsk region. He explains the need for such measures complete inability to hold mass actions at the initiative of social activists:

"Since the City Council decision number 881 activists have not given permission for a single picket to any rally or per meeting. And not only in Vitebsk, but in Orsha, and deep, and in other regions. Indeed, recent decisions regional executive committees rewritten modeled Vitebsk: everywhere require that along with the application for action proponents have made a contract to service police officers, public utilities, as well as physicians. These structures are shying away from writing contracts in any way possible. example of a city polyclinic we periodically meet that 2-3 weeks before the planned action they are aware of the impending outbreak of seasonal diseases, and not just on this day. So, they say, there is no free workers - and to cooperate with you, we will not."

Impel the conclusion of contracts through the courts also failed even once, although such processes were repeatedly and in Vitebsk and Orsha. By the way, just in Orsha court first heard the recognition of workers housing, they do not provide services at the request of individuals, even if the latter - the initiators of the mass actions. It turned out that such a contract can not conclude and clinic - there is also no price list for this type of service. Has no prices for any services at the request of the citizens and the police...

By the way, the police, refusing to enter into contracts, primarily refer to the legislation, and not the decision of the local authorities. Of police departments write that will conclude contracts only when there is a solution of the local administration, as required by law. And not vice versa, as recorded in the executive committee or executive committee decision.

Vitebsk activist organizing committee of the Social Democratic Party "Narodnaya Gromada" lawyer Alexei Gavrutikov analyzed the decisions of local authorities - not only in the Vitebsk region, but also in other areas. It turned out that the local authorities have developed documents that contradict the current legislation, not only in the Vitebsk region, but also in some areas of Gomel, Mogilev, Brest regions...

"I have studied 40 of the decisions of local authorities regulate citizens to have concluded the contract in advance, before the shares have not yet received them permission. And only 28 decisions have content that meets the requirements of the law and does not require any additional steps citizens. So , in most regions of the violation of the right of a citizen to publicly express their views through peaceful assembly."

Vitebsk first activists appealed to the Council of Ministers, there ordered to amend the decision of the executive committee. Previous attempts to initiate this process were unsuccessful: all instances of activists responded that the decision passed legal expertise, approved and recognized means perfect.

Viasna Human Rigths Center