Representatives of Institute of Independent Socio-Economic and Political Research Declare Impeachment to Judge Larysa Filimanikhina

the institute wasn’t situated in the place of its juridical address, didn’t submit the necessary information about its activity, had a non-statute governing body and used imprecise name. Judge of the Supreme Court Larysa Filimanikhina studied these accusations. The IISEPS representatives expressed impeachment to her, but the judge declined this move. Then she listened to the witnesses who told her how the institute used its office that was situated at Fanipal Mechanic Repairs Factory and proceeded to the documents that contained the institute’s name. The representative of the Ministry of Justice Aliaksandr Kharyton presented to the court the institute ballots where it wasn’t mentioned that the Institute of Independent Socio-Economic and Political Studies was a public association. According to the present legislation, it is a violation.

Then the court discriminated what was the role of the supervisory board in the organization structure. The Ministry of Justice stated it was a governing body that was established athwart the statute. It is also considered as a violation that can lead to the liquidation of the organization.

Aleh Manaieu, chair of the institute, said:
-- Imagine, that the board has only seven members, one of them is the vice-prime-minister of the Ukraine, another is a chair of an organization in New-York, one more – president of a Fund in Warsaw and so on. How can these people from different continents govern an organization in Belarus? Ask yourself about it and it will become clear that it is only a group of expert consultants.

IISEPS has conducted independent sociological research since 1992. Many of those who use the research data consider them more objective than those of the state sociologic services of Belarus. The institute leaders explain the persecution of the organization with political motives.

RFE/RL