HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE FOUNDATION EXPRESSES SUPPORT TO VIASNA

President Aleksandr Lukashenko
President’s office
Minsk 220010
Republic of Belarus
Tel/Fax: +375 17 2235 825

Oslo, September 20th, 2003

Dear Mr. President Lukashenko,

During the last year, the Human Rights House Foundation in Norway has gathered information from Belarus which draws a clear picture of a dramatic narrowing of the official, legal and public space for civil society to act in Belarus. Recent events in Belarus shows that this development particularly affects the free media and human rights organisations.

The Human Rights House Foundation is deeply concerned about the increased practise of official warnings to non-governmental organisations, the bureaucratic system of registration and the complicated set of operational guidelines set up by the authorities in Belarus. The practise of these measures violates the freedom of speech and freedom of association in Belarus, and leads to a massive clampdown on civil society structures, persecution of human rights defenders and a reduced human rights service to the citizens of Belarus. The Human Rights House Foundation hereby urges the authorities to stop this practise immediately and unconditionally.

The Human Rights House Foundation calls for your attention to the liquidation suit against the prominent non-governmental organisation “Human Rights Center, Viasna”, to commence on September 23rd, 2003.
The Human Rights House Foundation finds the arguments of the suit by the Ministry of Justice not to be in accordance with international human rights principles and standards for human rights defenders, freedom of speech and freedom of association. The Human Rights House Foundation appeals to the Supreme Court and urges this court not to liquidate the organisation “Human Rights Center, Viasna”.

Finally, the Human Rights House Foundation would like to draw your attention to the wording of article 1 in the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders: “Everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels.”

Sincerely yours,

Maria Dahle
Executive director
The Human Rights House Foundation, Norway