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Video: United Civic Party to study legality of permission denials for rallies, deputy chairman says

The United Civic Party (UCP) plans to appeal the denial of permission to hold rallies across Belarus on May 15 to demand fair elections, its leaders told reporters in Minsk on Thursday.

The party had planned 68 rallies in 15 Belarusian cities as part of its campaign titled "For Fair Elections without Lukashenka," but not a single event was permitted.

Deputy UCP Chairman Lew Marholin said that the party would closely study the permission denials issued by the local authorities for their compliance with regulations.

“Perhaps, they believe that we are illiterate and don’t know how an application should be drawn up?” said Mr. Marholin. “All their replies were cops-out, stating plainly that it [the application] was in violation of a certain provision of a certain law. No one bothered to explain how exactly it was in violation. Curiously, what’s the point? Whether is it about our alleged ignorance of the law or the law itself that seems to be designed to prohibit any activity, which flagrantly violates the constitution of Belarus and every possible international agreement?” //BelaPAN