12.11.2007 Supreme Court Upholds Non-registration of 'Viasna'

Case #03-17p/2007 VERDICT IN THE NAME OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

On 26 October 2006 the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus consisting of the presiding Yakhnavets S.K, with the secretary Budkina I.A., with participation of the prosecutor of a department of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Belarus Zanouski L.F., the plaintiffs Stefanovich V.K, Bialiatski A.V., Labkovich U.M., a representative of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus Piachkurou A.V., having considered in the hall of court sittings of the Supreme Court a civil case on the suit of Stefanovich Valiantsin Kanstantsinavich, Labkovich Uladzimir Mikalayevich, Bialiatski Aliaksandr Viktaravich against the ruling of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus to refuse registration to the Public human rights association ‘Viasna’,

29.10.2007 International Organizations Support Viasna

Leading international human rights organizations issued a joint statement on the situation with Viasna's registration

26.10.2007 Supreme Court Turns Down Complaint of Human Rights Defenders about Registration of Viasna

Despite the fact that during the trial the human rights defenders refuted practically all arguments of the Ministry, and representative of the Ministry failed to answer numerous questions of the founders, the Supreme Court decided in favor of the Ministry of Justice.

02.10.2007 Supreme Court Protracts Time

The human rights activists Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich and Valiantsin Stefanovich received letters from the Supreme Court, signed by judge S.Yakhnavets. There it was stated that on 26 September the appeal against the refusal of the Ministry of Justice to register the public association Human Rights Center Viasna was considered, but no decision was taken as no documents confirming the powers of the applicants were attached. That’s why the applicants were to correct the situation till 5 October.