Supreme Court of Belarus Brings Civil Case for Liquidation of International Academy for Research of National Minorities

The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus sued for liquidation of the public association International Academy for Research of National Minorities. In its suit the ministry refers presidential decree #247 of 31 May 2005 About additional measures for regulation of the use of the words ?#152;national’ and ?#152;Belarusian’. According to this decrees, NGOs are can’t have the word national in its name. However, in this case the ministry of workers demonstrated their illiteracy, because ?#152;national minority’ is a set phrase and there are no other names for this notion. ?#152;The demands of the Ministry of Justice are plainly absurd’, said the lawyer Uladzimir Labkovich, ?#152;it seems that the mechanism set for repression of NGOs can’t stop’.