Human rights activist Pavel Levinau received a message stating that the complaint distributor of the newspaper "Vitebsk courier" Mikhail Zhuravlev registered. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations informed of registration under number 2495/2014 submitted to the HRC communications under the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

This report was prepared by the human rights defender for the benefit of Michael Zhuravlev.

As was the case: first, by police internal affairs department administration of Pervomaisky district of Vitebsk against Mikhail Zhuravlev was drawn up an administrative offense for illegal, in their opinion, the distribution of the newspaper "Vitebsk Courier".

Then the judge Pershamaiski district court of Vitebsk Natalia Korablina, long figuring, Mikhail Zhuravlev subjected to administrative fine, 1.5 times the amount of pension he receives. Grateful readers' Vitebsk Courier "collected the necessary sum and helped Michael to pay a fine.

Appealing above did not help: the Vitebsk regional court judge Irina Smolyakova, as well as chairman of the court Nicholas Hamichenok saw no grounds for cancellation of the judgment. Appeal even higher also does not help: the deputy chairman of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus Valery Kalinkovich remained deaf to the arguments of Michael Zhuravlev.

Mikhail Zhuravlev tried to defend their right to the Human Rights Commission of the Commonwealth of Independent States, but it turned out that this Commission has not yet been established and the rights of citizens of the CIS can not protect.

"Bringing to administrative responsibility for expression through the dissemination of information through print violated the right of Mikhail Zhuravlev, guaranteed by Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Imposition of an administrative penalty for the dissemination of information is none other than the avoidance of the Republic of Belarus in the face of the above structures of the judges and the commitments made by the inadmissibility perform any act aimed at the destruction of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Covenant," - says human rights activist Pavel Levinau.

Now it is up to the competent international body.

Vitebsk Courier