Authorities in Vitsyebsk ban Milinkevich’s meeting with city residents

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  The Vitsyebsk city authorities have banned a meeting between former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich and city residents. Opposition activists Khrystafor Zhalyapaw, Alyaksey Hawrutsikaw and Alena Famina applied to the city executive committee for permission to organize such a meeting earlier this month. In a reply, Pavel Losich, deputy chairman of the Vitsyebsk City Executive Committee, said that the meeting would not be permitted, referring to the Mass Event Law, Mr. Zhalyapaw told BelaPAN. The official went to so far as to demand an end to all preparations for the meeting, according to Mr. Zhalyapaw. “I want to stress that apart from my application, the city executive committee also received a petition signed by 560 Vitsyebsk residents who expressed a wish to meet with Alyaksandr Milinkevich. And I believe that banning the meeting with him is the manifestation of disrespect for the people,” he said. The meeting was expected to be held in a movie theater on February 22. Mr. Zhalyapaw plans to appeal the meeting ban to court.