Association of Ukrainians «Kabzar» is trying to get premises for legal address through court

On 1 November the head of the Association of the Baranavichy Ukrainians "Kabzar" Mikalai filed a complaint with the Brest Regional Court against the ruling of Judge Mikalai Selmanovich for 24 October 2013.

As we have already reported, Judge of the Baranavichy City and District Court Mikalai Selmanovich didn't grant the lawsuit of the entrepreneur and ruled that the Baranavichy City Executive Committee acted in accordance with the law.

In his complaint to the Brest Regional Court Mikalai Charnavus reports that local officials not only complicate the issue of rental space, but also create artificial obstacles to NGOs in the provision of premises for a legal address. The civil activist confidently states that there are free offices in Baranavichy which the authorities can rent to NGOs. At the same time, the deputy chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee L. Tsupryk informs the court that there are no free offices in the city. Meanwhile, the Baranavichy City Executive Committee provided an office for “Kabzar” in Savetskaya Street, 60, but then quickly took it away. In other letters the executive committee recommended the association of the Baranavichy Ukrainians “Kabzar” to pay 2 million rubles and take part in an auction to obtain a room for registering its legal address.

“In fact, in every letter the officials propose something new, that's why it is impossible to find the truth in Baranavichy. In the Ukraine, representatives of Belarusian civil society organizations pay a symbolic sum for the rent: one hryvnia (about nine US cents or 1,000 Belarusian rubles). That's why I will ask the Brest Regional Court not only to turn down the ruling of the Baranavichy City and District Court of 24 October 2013, but also to oblige the Baranavichy City Executive Committee to provide one of the free offices for the NGO “Kabzar” without its participation in tha auction,” pointed Mr. Charnavus.