News on the topic: freedom of association
15.05.2009 Police disbanded rally ‘For Independence!’
On 14 May a rally of the opposition timed to the anniversary of referendum on changing state symbols and introduction of two state languages was disbanded in Minsk. Dozens of riot policemen with truncheons clashed with people under white-red-white flags.
14.05.2009 Uladzimir Labkovich: We can forecast that ‘Nasha Viasna’ won’t be registered again
Members of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, the documents for the state registration of which have been once again passed to the Ministry of Justice, inform that officers of the Ministry of Justice calls to their jobs and ask various questions concerning the life and activities of the people who became the founders of the NGO.
12.05.2009 Belarusian Christian Democracy Party gets no registration
Co-chairmen of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party call the decision of the authorities illegal and ungrounded. According to them, the Justice Ministry has simply executed a political order.
12.05.2009 ‘Young Social Democrats’ denied registration
The Ministry of Justice of Belarus refused to register the pubic association Young Social Democrats – Young Hramada.
09.05.2009 Police beat up participants of 7 May action
Participants of the rally on 7 May were beaten even for a denial to be fingerprinted, though formally this procedure is voluntary.
07.05.2009 Action in the memory of Yury Zakharanka ends with mass detentions
On 7 May at 6 p.m. several hundred people came to an action of commemoration of the ex-minister of interior Yury Zakharanka who has been missing for ten years already. The people were holding the photos of Zakharanka and the photos of the political prisoners Mikalai Autukhovich, Uladzimir Asipenka and Yury Liavonau.
07.05.2009 Homel: police warn ‘For Freedom’ coordinator Uladzimir Katsora
On 6 May the police reminded Uladzimir Katsora about administrative responsibility for violation of the law On mass actions that could take place during commemoration of Yury Zakharanka on the tenth anniversary of disappearance.
07.05.2009 6th day of action of solidarity: Mikalai Autukhovich hungers for 20 days already
On 6 May the action of solidarity with political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich, who has gone on indefinite hunger strike, was held in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk in presence of riot policemen and law enforcement officers in mufti.
06.05.2009 Ministry of Justice is considering an anonymous letter related to Belarusian Christian Democracy Party
On 6 May a co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Party Pavel Seviarynets and the responsible secretary of the party Dzianis Sadouski had a meeting with the justice minister Viktar Halavanau concerning registration of the party.
06.05.2009 Action of solidarity with political prisoners: day five
Before the rally of solidarity that was to start in Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk on 5 May in the evening, several street cleaning machines arrived to the scene. For some time people couldn’t stay on the square, as they risked to be showered by water.
04.05.2009 Journalist’s complaint brings no result
As it follows from the letter, received by the journalist Ivan Roman, the head of Leninski district branch of the custodial service of Hrodna, police major Zaikou thinks that his subordinates were right when they did not let the journalist to the open court hearings.
04.05.2009 Action of solidarity: day three
On 3 May activists of the civil campaign European Belarus, Young Front and Young Belarus traditionally gathered in Kastrychnitskaya Square at 6 p.m.
04.05.2009 Action of solidarity: day two
At 6 p.m. on 2 May about 40 activists of Young Front, Young Belarus, European Belarus and BPF Youth lined up in Kastrychnitskaya Square in Minsk with portraits of Mikalai Autukhovich in their hands and demanded that Autukhovich and other political prisoners were released from prison.
30.04.2009 Assembly of Pro-Dem NGOs to sue Ministry of Justice
Members of the working group for the creation of the Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs Siarhei Matskevich, Aleh Hulak and Ales Bialiatski have filed a lawsuit against the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. The claimants demand to reverse the decision by the Ministry to deny registration to the Assembly in early April 2009, due to a number of flaws in the NGO’s charter, including its name, which does not meet the regulations of the law. ‘We do not agree with the decision and consider it a politically motivated move,’ said head of the working group Siarhei Matskevich. ‘In case the Supreme Court supports the decision by the Ministry of Justice, it will mean a total ban to found associations of NGOs,’ said lawyer Yury Chavusau, who drew up the application. The Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs was founded by 7 public associations, including the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Supolnasts Center, the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhennie, Human Rights Center etc.
30.04.2009 Assembly of Pro-Dem NGOs to sue Ministry of Justice
Members of the working group for the creation of the Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs Siarhei Matskevich, Aleh Hulak and Ales Bialiatski have filed a lawsuit against the Belarusian Ministry of Justice. The claimants demand to reverse the decision by the Ministry to deny registration to the Assembly in early April 2009, due to a number of flaws in the NGO’s charter, including its name, which does not meet the regulations of the law. ‘We do not agree with the decision and consider it a politically motivated move,’ said head of the working group Siarhei Matskevich. ‘In case the Supreme Court supports the decision by the Ministry of Justice, it will mean a total ban to found associations of NGOs,’ said lawyer Yury Chavusau, who drew up the application. The Assembly of Pro-Democratic NGOs was founded by 7 public associations, including the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the Supolnasts Center, the Belarusian Popular Front Adradzhennie, Human Rights Center etc.
