TRIAL OVER BROTHERS LUTSKEVICH FOUNDATION NOT STARTED AS EXPECTED. JUSTICE MINISTRY HAS NEW CLAIMS

The trial over Brothers Lutskevich Foundation was set to September 22. However, it did not start because of the new claims of the Justice Ministry.
In the first suit the Justice Ministry claimed the NGO was located at the address different from the legal one. The second claim was violation of the Statute (twice the name of the NGO was not preceded by words “public association”). The suit also contained the words: “and other violations”. They caused suspension of the trial. During pretrial hearing Anatol Hurynovich, head of the Foundation, asked the other party to explain what were “other violations” they committed. Last week Alexander Kharyton, expert of the Ministry’s Department of NGOs, said there were no “other violations”. However, yesterday at the Supreme Court Hurynovich learned about new claims added to the suit.
The Ministry of Justice managed to find “other violations”. The officials recognized the congress of 1999 to be illegitimate and all its decisions legally invalid. Thus, the Justice Ministry re-registered the NGO illegally. Additionally the NGO is accused of environmental protection activities and having a discussion club within their Baranavichy branch, which allegedly contradicts the Statute. And the last claim – allegations that the stamp of the NGO does not meet the requirements of the regulations of stamps producing and keeping.
Anatol Hurynovich asked for the time to read through the new suit and prepare for the trial. The hearing was postponed to October 14.
Hurynovich does not expect a favorable court decision. The head of Brothers Lutskevich Foundation is sure the NGO will become the next victim of the harassment campaign against the third sector.

Information Department of the Human Rights Center "Viasna"