Freedom Day celebration banned in Salihorsk

The Salihorsk district executive committee refused to rent out premises to the Belarusian Language Society (BLS) to celebrate Freedom Day.

Charter97.org learnt it from Viktar Malochka, an activist of BLS's Salihorsk branch.

“We wanted to celebrate the national holiday and applied to the Salihorsk district executive committee to rent the premises, but we were refused. Executive committee chairman Alyaksandr Rymasheuski said the task of our society was cultural and educational activity to preserve, revive and promote the Belarusian language, but to hold political events,” the activist noted.

He added he had sent a request to congratulate residents of Salihorsk on Freedom Day in the request show on the local STK TV channel.

“I filed some 15 applications to the district executive committee for holding pickets, collecting signatures and other events. But they always gave the runaround. This time was not an exception.

We are going to wait for the reply from the TV channel, which is likely to be negative, and complain to a court about the decision of the city authorities and the TV management,” Viktser Malochka said.