Jan. 29 one of the leaders of the civil campaign "Tell the Truth" Sergei Wozniak appealed Vitebsk regional court refusal to register their initiative groups. The Court upheld the previous failures district and regional electoral commissions. Activist was going to run in the Tolochin district and Kochanava rural councils by collecting signatures.

Tolochin District Election Commission registered initiative groups are not referring to the 6th part of Article 60 of the Electoral Code. Sergei Wozniak stated that he does not live and work in the territory of councils, who is going to run. Mr. Wozniak with such arguments disagreed tried to prove that he is the chief editor of the national newspaper "Tovarisch", which is distributed throughout Belarus, respectively, and in Tolochin District.

In Tolochin District Election Commission said that the territory of distribution of the newspaper cannot be regarded as a place of work. Vitebsk Regional Election Commission also sided with the activist: a complaint that the district commission unreasonably refused registration of initiative groups, considered unfounded.

Vitebsk Regional Court not only supported the previous grounds for refusal of registration, but added a number of new, said the chairman of the Vitebsk Regional organizations Left Party "Fair World" Nicholas Selivashko, the only representative of the democratic forces in the Regional Electoral Commission:

"As grounds for refusal of registration has been said that the newspaper "Tovarisch" is not subject to local post office, and that it is not in the subscription catalog. Explaining that it is not the fault of the editor and the lack of cooperation on the part of "Belposhta" were not accepted. It did not help that the court arrived residents Tolochin area of our party member from Kochanava Nicholai Petrushenka and other readers of the newspaper. They testified that the newspaper is distributed in the territory and raises local issues. However, the prosecutor and the judge decided that the witnesses - the stakeholders, and therefore their explanation cannot be considered objective."

Activists present at the trial and he Sergei Wozniak, realizing that a positive decision would not have left the court before its announcement.

Viasna Human Rights Center