News on the topic: freedom of association
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.
29.04.2009 Businessmen apply for registration again
According to www.belaruspartizan.org, the Republican Public Association ‘For the Free Development of Entrepreneurship’ is going to hold a constituent assembly in May. Viktar Harbachou, head of the Ukraine-based Belarusian NGO, says they are going ‘to legalize their relations with the Belarusian government.’ ‘The main objective of the upcoming congress is regular legal activities by the organization in Belarus. We understand that we are out of favour with the regime. Still, we are going to test the so-called ‘liberalization.’ – says Mr.Harbachou.
29.04.2009 Front Line issues statement on refusal to register human rights organisation Nasha Viasna
Front Line is concerned by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus, on 22 April 2009, to maintain the previous decision of the Ministry of Justice not to register the human rights organisation Nasha Viasna (Our spring). Nasha Viasna is the new name of the human rights centre previously known as Viasna (Spring), which was closed down by the Supreme Court following the demand of the Ministry of Justice on 28 November 2003. The human rights center Viasna is one of the most active Belarusian human rights organisations, specialising in particular in the defence, protection and promotion of political and social rights.
24.04.2009 Nasha Viasna to apply for registration for the last time
On 25 April the founders of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization are going to apply to the Ministry of Justice for registration for a third time. At the same time, they stress that this attempt will be the last, even in case the application is turned down again. ‘If the state represented by the Ministry of Justice is not ready, does not want or cannot register human rights NGOs, it will be a problem for the state itself. We can perform human rights activities without official registration. It is our legal right, guaranteed by the Constitution and the international human rights standards,’ said the human rights activist and one of Nasha Viasna’s co-founders Valiantsin Stefanovich.
22.04.2009 Supreme Court turns down claim by Nasha Viasna
On 22 April the Supreme Court of Belarus turned down the complaint by the founders of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization. Judge Ihar Milto found the decision by the Ministry of Justice legal due to certain procedural violations, including inaccuracies in the founders’ lists and the organization’s Charter. Besides, state duty payment receipt lacked the name of the NGO. All other arguments of the Ministry of Justice were found legally invalid. The court stressed that the above-mentioned flaws could not be corrected within the period of registration since the postponement of registration is not the duty but the right of the registration authority.
21.04.2009 Court turns down claim by Union of Poles
Hrodna Regional Court has turned down a claim by the unrecognized Belarusian Union of Poles against the verdict by Hrodna Leninski Court awarding a 520,000 fine to the participants of an unauthorized rally. The activists of the Polish minority claim that the court failed to follow the necessary judicial procedures – activist Mechyslau Iaskevich did not receive his summons in due time, while Ihar Bantsar was forced to leave the courtroom. However, the verdict was confirmed. According to the claimants’ lawyer Ihar Sazanovich, the judicial officials must have counterfeited several documents, which resulted in the decision. Judge Uladzimir Iaukhuta refused to hear evidence by a number of witnesses, including local journalists. Representatives of the Union of Poles think the verdict is illegal and say they are going to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court of Belarus.
17.04.2009 BCD registration refusal suspended by Supreme Court
On 16 April one of the leaders of the Belarusian Christian Democracy party Aliaksei Shein was informed by an official of the Ministry of Justice that the decision to deny registration to the party had been suspended. The suspension must have been caused by the numerous claims of the BCD members and is likely to be reviewed after the claims are considered. According to the BCD leader Paval Seviarynets, ‘it is utter surrealism.’ ‘First they refuse a license, and then they suspend their decision. I think the final decision will be clear only after Lukashenka’s meeting with Karel Schwarzenberg. It will depend on how successful it will be,’ says the politician.
14.04.2009 Alexander Lukashenka refuses to recognize the Union of Poles headed by Anzhalika Borys
Alexander Lukashenka refused to consider the application of the delegates of the congress of the Union of Poles in Belarus (UPB), calling on him to help developing better relations.
11.04.2009 Authorities again refuse to register Assembly of Pro-democratic NGOs
This information was voiced by the leaders of the Assembly on 10 April. On 9 April they received a letter, signed by the vice-minister of justice Alexander Simanau (the application for registration was submitted on 6 March, and the legal time for giving an answer is one month).
07.04.2009 Property of ‘For Freedom’ movement distrained
Furniture from the apartment where the leader of For Freedom movement met with his supporters, have been brought away by movers today.
02.04.2009 Authorities of Baranavichy liquidate the right to peaceful assemblies
Adherents of the For Freedom movement have received a negative answer from Brest oblast executive committee to their proposal to abolish the ruling of Baranavichy city executive committee About the rules of holding mass actions in the city of Baranavichy.
01.04.2009 Workers of ‘Mastoudreu’ plant are threatened with dismissal for meetings with oppositionist
The headmaster of the largest enterprise of Masty district ‘Mastoudreu’ Siarhei Asosau threatened the workers that he would dismiss the department where if he saw there the activist of For Freedom movement, deputy of Masty district soviet of deputies Dzmitry Kukhlei there.
31.03.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Currently, the Belarusian society is constrained by repressive legislation’
Shortly after the Nasha Viasna constituent congress on 29 March, the NGO’s Chair Ales Bialiatski commented on the underlying reasons for another attempt to obtain state registration. ‘In fact, there has been a continuous process: on the one hand, we have not appealed the refusal by the Ministry of Justice yet. On the other hand, we have held another constituent congress on 29 March to draw up one more application to the Ministry of Justice. The decision is closely connected to the extremely low amount of impartial considerations of similar refusals by the Supreme Court. One can count them on the fingers of one hand – the organizations that managed to protect their rights at the Supreme Court.
31.03.2009 Union of Poles addresses General Prosecutor’s Office
The Union of Poles in Belarus has addressed the General Prosecutor’s Office with an appeal to investigate into the facts of fomenting of national hatred by the BT state-owned TV channel. In its coverage of the 15 March Congress of the Union in Hrodna, the channel ‘insulted the dignity of the Union members, by saying that the Congress declared that ‘the Poles are a superior race’, which is not true.
31.03.2009 Nasha Viasna helds congress
On 29 March, the Belarusian Popular Front’s central office hosted another constituent congress of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization, attended by its 82 representatives from all over the country. As a result of the congress, the human rights activists voted for the formation of the NGO, its charter and the action program. They also elected the governing bodies of the organization, including its Board, Chairperson and the auditing committee.
