English » Belarusian news » 20 January 2010 at 4⁰²

Minsk Court Dismisses Appeal of Two Gay Activists Fined for Holding Unsanctioned Picket

Minsk City Court on Tuesday dismissed the appeal of two Belarusian gay activists against the decision of the local court which held them responsible for organising an unsanctioned picketing in front the Iranian Embassy in Minsk last December.

Human Rights activists from LGBT Project GayBelarus.By organized a peaceful protest in front of the Iranian Embassy in Minsk last December 16. They were holding posters showing "Stop gay executions in Iran ". Their action aimed to denounce the execution of homosexuals in Iran.

Gay activists were found guilty of an administrative offence by a local Court a week later, on December 23.

Sergey Androsenko and Sergey Pradzed were fined respectively, 850'000 Belarusian Roubles (approx 207 euro) and 350'000 Belarusian Roubles (approx 85 euro). The Court gave a higher fine to Mr Androsenko after it recognized him as main organizer of the action.

A third activist was fined 105'000 Belarusian Rouble (approx. 25 euro) the next day after the event.

In his appeal against the decision, Mr Androsenko told the court that "The decision which found me guilty of organizing an unsanctioned event violates my right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Belarus ratified".

Mr Androsenko founded his argument on the basis that the Belarusian Constitution says the International obligations of the country are higher than the domestic laws.

Speaking outside the Court, Mr Androsenko confirmed that he will shortly send his case to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Belarus is not a member of the Council of Europe and its citizens do not have the right to petition to the European Court of Human Rights. However, Belarus recognizes the jurisdiction of the UN Human Rights Committee which gay activists intend to seize.

Next May 15, Minsk will host the second edition of the Slavic Pride, after Moscow last year. It will also be the second attempt to hold a gay Pride in Belarus since 2001.

Author: GayRussia.Ru // GayBelarus.By

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