Chair of Independent Institute for Socio-Economic and Political Research Is Warned

On 30 December Stanislau Novikau, senior investigator of the Procurator’s office of Belarus summonsed Aleh Manaeu, director of the Independent Institute for Socio-Economic and Political Research that is registered in Vilnius and warned him about “inadmissibility of law violations”.

The warning was signed by Mikalai Kupryianau, vice-Procurator General, who stated that IISEPS continued conducting public polls despite the fact it had no registration in Belarus.

“In the case you repeat the established order for conduction of social polls during the period of preparation to the presidential election of the Republic of Belarus, your actions will be considered as a law violation, for which you can be punished”, -- read the document.

Professor Manaeu considers this warning groundless, because the procurator’s office referred to the ruling of the Soviet of Ministers that regulated the order of accreditation of the juridical bodies that conducted polls, while he dealt with this activity as a private individual, which wasn’t mentioned in any legislative act.

According to RFE/RL he can complain against the warning, but haven’t yet decided whether he would do it.