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Minsk Court Dismisses Appeal of Two Gay Activists Fined for Holding Unsanctioned Picket
 
Activists vow to take case to UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva

■ Belarus gay activist Sergey Androsenko holds a placard outside the Iranian Embassy last month. On the left is Sergey Pravdin. photo courtesy Gay.by

MINSK, January 19, 2010 (Gay Russia)  –  Minsk City Court today dismissed the appeal of two Belarusian gay activists against the decision of the local court, which held them responsible for organising an unsanctioned picket in front the Iranian Embassy in Minsk last December.

Sergey Androsenko and Sergey Pravdin were fined 850,000 Belarusian roubles (approx 207 euro) and 350,000 Belarusian Roubles (approx 85 euro) respectively on December 23.

The Court gave a higher fine to Mr Androsenko after it recognised him as main organiser of the action.  The 850,000 roubles fine equates to about one month’s pay in Belarus

The small three-person peaceful picket in front of the Iranian Embassy in Minsk on December 16 was to protest the continuing execution of gays in Iran.  The three held placards saying “Stop gay executions in Iran”.

The third activist was fined 105,000 roubles (about 25 euros) in when his case was heard the day after the picket.

In his appeal against the decision, Mr Androsenko told the court  today: “The decision which found me guilty of organising 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 in, the next few days, send his case to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Belarus is not currently a member of the Council of Europe (it’s membership has been suspended) and its citizens do not have the right to petition to the European Court of Human Rights.  However, Belarus recognises the jurisdiction of the UN Human Rights Committee which gay activists intend to use in their appeal to Geneva.

■ In May, Minsk is due to stage the second Slavic Pride – the first was last year in Moscow when the mayor banned the march.  Scheduled for May 15, it will also be the second attempt to hold a gay Pride in Belarus since 2001, the year the Belarus authorities banned the event.

SEE ALSO

Gay Activists Fined for Taking Part in Human Rights Demo Near Iranian Embassy in Minsk.  The chairman of LGBT Human Rights project, GayBelarus, Sergey Androsenko, received a Christmas present earlier this week from the Belarus authorities.  He was fined the equivalent of a month’s pay – 875,000 Belarus Roubles when found guilty of organising a three-person demonstration against the execution of gays in Iran close to the Iranian Embassy in Minsk.  (UK Gay News, December 25, 2009)

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