Ales Bialiatski: ‘There ten times more NGOs in Armenia than in Belarus’

According to information of the BelaPAN Aleh Slizheuski, head of the civil associations board of the Ministry of Justice, stated that there was prepared a draft law that would decrease the legal terms for consideration of the documents submitted for NGOs for obtaining the state registration (at present the legal term is one month). The official also stated that the procedure of registration would be simplified.

Ales Bialiatski, head of the Human Rights Center Viasna, thusly commented on Slizheuski’s words:

‘It is difficult to say what really stands behind these sound statements, as we know that the Ministry of Justice was seeking to amend the laws in a way that wouldn’t simplify the registration process. What concerns the decrease of the terms – one moth seems to be an optimal term, taking into consideration the number of NGOs Belarus should have. I should remind that in Armenia there ten times more NGOs per capita than in Belarus. The decrease of this term just shows that the Ministry of Justice receives few fresh applications for registrations and therefore can consider them quicker. What concerns other promises – at present they remain just promises. The future will show whether they will be kept.’