Pavel Sevyarynets lodges complaint about BT

Oppositionist Pavel Sevyarynets has lodged complaints with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Minsk Pershamaiski District Department of the Investigation Committee. He is appealing against the actions of the Belarusian State Broadcasting Company that distributed his personal information.

According to the human rights website Viasna, his phone conversation with Zmitser Dashkevich was made public in the programme “Calling a Friend” on March 12, 2017, the politician said. The Belarusian State Broadcasting Company did not even try to keep his name a secret and plainly showed his photo with the inscription’ P.Sevyarynets’, he noted.

BT’s actions are illegal and violate the Law on Mass Media and the 28th article of the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus that guarantees every citizen protection against the illegal interference into their personal life including correspondence, phone calls and other messages.

BT’s actions also violated article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The article guarantees freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence.

Sevyarynets is asking the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Investigation Committee to find the persons responsible for the violation of his constitutionals right for privacy and to subject them to criminal responsibility.