News on the topic: freedom of association
06.08.2008 Supreme Court upholds registration denial to ‘For Freedom’ movement
Today the Supreme Court has ruled to reject the suit of the movement For Freedom on the basis of a technical mistake in the guarantee letter of the organization which agreed to provide legal address for it.
05.08.2008 Supreme Court starts proceedings on suit against registration denial to For Freedom movement
The Supreme Court started the consideration of the suit of the republican NGO Movement For Freedom against the refusal of the Ministry of Justice to give the state registration to it. The Ministry of Justice insists that the majority of applicants participate in political mass actions and comment on political events. That’s why, if the organization is registered, most probably its aims will not correspond to the aims which stand in the charter.
16.07.2008 For Freedom Movement sues Ministry of Justice
Members of the organizing committee of the Movement “For Freedom” filed a complaint to the Supreme Court. The founders of the non-governmental organization believe that the decision of the Ministry of Justice dated June 19th is illegal. The Ministry denied registration to the Movement claiming its members had violated the legislation of Belarus. By such a denial the Ministry restricts the constitutional right of the citizens to form associations.
14.07.2008 Blast news: some of the detained activists get released from jail
The opposition activists Siarhei Vysotski and Alexander Serhiyenka, detained over the case of blasts on 4 July, were released from the KGB detention center on Saturday, 12 July.
10.07.2008 Blast news: Detention term extended to Miraslau Lazouski
Miraslau Lazouski, former member of the underground sportive patriotic organization White Legion, was detained within the frames of the criminal case which had been brought on the fact of the bomb blast in the night of 3-4 July during the celebration of the official Independence Day in Minsk.
10.07.2008 Five persons are arrested in connection with Minsk blast
Many electronic mass media continue informing that four former activists of the underground organization White Legion, Siarzhuk Chyslau, Ihar Korsak, Miraslau Lazouski and Viktar Liashchynski, have been arrested within the frames of the criminal case which has been brought on the fact of the bomb blast during the official concert in the night of 3-4 July.
04.07.2008 Another complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee
On 1 July the members of the liquidated cultural and educational NGO Stary Horad which used to operate on the territory of Brest filed a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee against the liquidation. Stary Horad was registered in 1992 for support of the public and cultural initiatives of Brest residents, aimed at development and wellbeing of their city. On 12 April 2007 Brest oblast court ruled to liquidate the organization on suit of Brest oblast executive committee.
04.07.2008 Pavel Yukhnevich is imprisoned for seven days
Pavel Yukhnevich, activist of the European Belarus civil campaign, is serving his 7-day arrest in the jail on Akrestin Street in Minsk since yesterday.
12.06.2008 Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders expresses its grave concern with persecution of Leanid Svetsik
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in *Belarus*.
09.06.2008 Anzhalika Borys, head of Union of Poles in Belarus, gets fined for concert
Anzhalika Borys, head of the unrecognized by the authorities Union of Poles, has been sentenced to a fine of 1.4 million Belarusian rubles for having organized a concert of the well-known Polish band Lombard in Hrodna on 2 May.
28.05.2008 Public statement of Belarusian voluntary society for protection of monuments of history and culture
In 2004 the building which belonged to the voluntary society for protection of monuments of history and culture and was restored at the expense of the organization (as well as almost all buildings in this historical block), was unlawfully nationalized for the benefit of the state. The state proved to be shameless enough to make the former investor a renter. Then, executing a new presidential decree for economical liquidation of the civil society, the authorities refused to prolong the rent agreement to the voluntary society. Instead, it was proposed that the organization should leave its premises by 3 p.m. on 15 May 2008.
23.05.2008 Yury Istomin fined for concert of Polish band
Yury Istomin, chairman of Hrodna city branch of the United Civil Party, was fined 1 050 000 rubles (about 493 US dollars) for organization of the concert of the Polish band Transkapela in the UCP office on 13 May.
15.05.2008 Milinkevich is prohibited to drink water near Orthodox chapel
14 May the leader of the For Freedom movement Alexander Milinkevich visited Smaliavichy and Lahoisk and met with the local citizens. During his visit to Lahoisk the politician got a notice for an attempt to drink water from a well near an orthodox chapel.
14.05.2008 Hrodna: another administrative case for concert
An administrative report under article 23.34 (active participation in unauthorized action) has been composed today against the chairman of Hrodna oblast branch of the United Civil Party (UCP) Yury Istomin. The police qualified as an unauthorized action the concert of a well-known Polish band Lombard in Hrodna.
12.05.2008 Anzhalika Borys tried for organizing a concert
A chair of the Union of Poles in Belarus Anzhalika Borys faces an administrative penalty for organizing a concert of the Polish band Lombard in Brest.
