Systematic registration denials to ‘Nasha Viasna’ witness about the non-readiness of the Belarusian authorities to democratic transformations in the country

On 25 May 2009 the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus ruled to deny the state registration to the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna.

It is already the third refusal of the Ministry of Justice to register the association, established by members of the civil association Human Rights Center Viasna that was liquidated in October 2003. The previous registration denials were issued by the ministry on August 2007 and March 2009.

On 24 June 2007 the UN Human Rights Committee in its decision confessed the liquidation of the civil association Human Rights Center Viasna to be violation of Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by the Republic of Belarus. In its decision the Committee also confirmed the right of the applicants to the adequate remedy including re-registration of the organization and compensation and obliged the Belarusian state to take measures for prevention of such violations in future.

We have repeatedly addressed the Belarusian authorities in connection with this decision of the UN Human Rights Committee, requiring them to restore our violated rights.

We also pointed that we agreed to consider registration of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna as compensation by the state of our violated right to registration.

Despite this the Belarusian authorities not only ignored the decision of the Committee, but also thrice groundlessly denied registration to Nasha Viasna. In connection with the last registration denial we, founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, state the following:

- the constant registration denials from the side of the Belarusian authorities are systematic discrimination of human rights defenders for their civil activities;

- are groundless and unlawful and violate our constitutional right to freedom of association;

- violate the international agreements in the field of human rights that have been ratified by the Republic of Belarus;

- witness that the Belarusian authorities are not ready to conduct system changes aimed at further liberalization in the country.

We state that in connection with the unwillingness of the Belarusian authorities to register the CHRA Nasha Viasna we will continue our human rights activists as individuals and as a group of persons.

We also inform the Belarusian authorities about our intention to appeal against their actions at the UN Human Rights Committee.

Founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna Ales Bialiatski, Uladzimir Labkovich and Valiantsin Stefanovich