December 10 is celebrated worldwide as Human Rights Day. On this day 68 years ago, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The next application for a picket on this day in Viciebsk filed to the local authorities human rights activist Leonid Svetik. And – predictably: the application is not approved, the picket – is prohibited.

The reason for banning the event standard for Viciebsk: the applicant does not attach to his application the contracts with utilities services, medicine and law enforcement. These contracts require the decision of the Viciebsk city executive committee №881 of July 10, 2009. Since the entry into force of the decision any of the public or the opposition political activists "northern capital" is not able to overcome this barrier, as the services listed in the decision, strongly deviate from the conclusion of the necessary contracts.

Earlier, it was reported, another human rights activist from Vitsebsk, Paul Levine, also received a ban on the picket dedicated to the 10th of December. The grounds also was the decision number 881.

Prohibition to hold a picket Mr. Svetik learned from an official letter signed by Natalia Lepeshkina, deputy head of the administration of Railway district of Viciebsk. If there was a prize in Belarus for the officials because they banned citizens of the greatest number of public events, Lepeshkina, perhaps, would be a top contender for the award.

Who is a human rights activist Leonid Svetik faces a choice. He can still hold a picket stated, despite the ban Lepeshkina, and become a violator of the Administrative Code, as understood by the police and the judge of Viciebsk. Or talk about viteblyanam Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations (which was among the founders and Belarus), about the importance of this document in any other way.

Kastuś Dźvinski