Supreme Court Dissatisfies Anti-liquidation Complaint of “Legal Assistance to Population”

On 13 October the college board on civil cases of the Supreme Court of Belarus considered the complaint of the Public association “Legal Assistance to Population” against the verdict of Minsk City Court that on 8 September 2003 ruled to liquidate this human rights association. This time the trial was also headed by Zhukowskaya. Representatives of “Legal Assistance to Population” solicited for the challenge of court president Zhukowskaya, Judge Zabara and Prosecutor Artseshenka as they hadn’t satisfied the complaint against the warning issued to this public association. According to the human rights activists, these officers couldn’t conduct the trial objectively. The solicitation was rejected.

Speaking at the trial Aleh Volchak, Head of the “Legal Assistance to Population”, pointed at the political nature for liquidation of the organization. Other speakers, including Yury Chavusaw, representative of the “Human Rights Center “Viasna”, considered the juridical side of the case and said that such punishment as liquidation of the public association is inappropriate for the found violations.

The court evidently hurried with its decision, that’s why there wasn’t even the dinner break. At 2 p.m. Judge Zhukowskaya pronounced the verdict: to dissatisfy the complaint of the PA “Legal Assistance to Population” against the verdict of Minsk City Court and leave in force the verdict about liquidation of the public association.