UN Committee registers a next message on rights violations in Belarus (photos)

The complaint by the Movement for Freedom (MFF) activist Vital Symonik was registered under No.1952/2010.

 

The message of the MFF activist was registered on May 19, 2010. This is the 78th case taken for consideration by the Committee in relation to the Belarusian state.

 

The MFF Brest activists Vital Symonik and Andrey Sharenda were detained on July 26, 2006 while distributing the leaflets for the meeting dedicated to the anniversary of the proclamation of the Independence of the Republic of Belarus. An administrative protocol was drawn up against Symonik under Article 172, part 3 of the Administrative Offences Code (“illegal distribution of printed materials”). The Administrative Commission of the Brest Leninski district punished Symonik with a fine of Br100 thousand (some €25). The attempts to appeal against this decision in courts yielded no results.

 

Symonik doesn’t agree with the legal estimate of his actions. The activist thinks the reference to the norms of the Law On Press and Other Mass Media is groundless. The leaflet is not a periodic publication; therefore its distribution cannot be regulated by the Law On Press and Other Mass Media. 

The application of this Law in this case limits the freedom to distribute the information and ideas (paragraph 2 of Article 19 of The International Pact on Civil and Political Rights). Since the leaflet contained the criticism of the authorities – which, the activist thinks, was the real reason of his punishment – Symonik considers the acts of the authorities to be the persecution for political views and beliefs (paragraph 1 of Article 19 of The International Pact on Civil and Political Rights). The MFF activist also thinks his detention was arbitrary which violated his right for freedom and personal security (paragraph 1 of Article 9 of The International Pact on Civil and Political Rights). Moreover, he was denied the right for a fair trial (Article 14 of The International Pact on Civil and Political Rights).

  

Vital Symonik

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