On 19 May 2010, the UN Human Rights Committee registered a complaint submitted by two Brest activists of the ‘For Freedom’ movement, Aliaksandr Milinkevich’s press-service reports.

Vital Symonik and Andrei Sharenda were detained on 26 July 2006 while distributing leaflets advertising the forthcoming Independence Day event. As a result, Mr. Symonik was charged with violating Par. 3 of Art. 172 of the Civil Code (‘illegal distribution of printed materials’) and fined BYR 100,000.

Vital Symonik argues that leaflets cannot be considered periodicals and therefore his prosecution was illegal.

Source: A.Milinkevich’s press-service.