Besides persecutions, court biases, arrests, steep fines and incarcerations to limit human rights defenders’ activities in Belarus there is one more widespread and very effective tactics – non-registration of NGOs. Thankfully, in a rather sinister way, to Article 193.1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code a person can be called to account for involvement in activities of unregistered NGOs.
At the end of May, the civil human rights initiative Naša Viasna received yet one more, third in a row, refusal of registration. Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich and Uladzimir Labkovich, organisation founders and well known in Belarus and abroad human rights defenders, firmly disagree with the Ministry of Justice decision and plan to appeal to the Supreme Court as well as to the UN Human Rights Committee. They declared their intentions at a joint press conference by Naša Viasna and Assembly of Non-governmental Organisations on 3 June in Minsk. The press conference was called to address problems of refusals to register both initiatives.
Activists are resolved: constant refusals to register prove that Belarusian authorities are not ready for systematic changes directed at further liberalisation of the country.
"We just want to tell MJ officials and to those who back them up: stop playing fools. Our organisation received a refusal for the third time already, but at the same time the human rights centre Viasna has been a member of International Human Rights Federation since 2004. The work of many our activists has been recognised: they are recipients of prestigious international awards,” comments Ales Bialiatski, vice-president of International Human Rights Federation and Naša Viasna founder. “That is why we do not understand authorities’ position since all these atrocious acts happen as Belarus declares its willingness for the dialogue with EU, one of the conditions being improvement in the human rights situation. How is it possible to achieve any changes without registering civic organisations and initiatives?”
Human rights defender Valiantsin Stefanovich voiced the position of Naša Viasna founders: “We officially state that we acted and will act in the future representing interests of the unregistered organisation, Human Rights Centre Viasna. We are ready for any sort of reaction from the authorities and, naturally, we would welcome their steps towards cancellation of the appalling article 193.1 of CC. We are convinced that this article disregards the Constitution and is not in accordance with international human rights standards, especially to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.”
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Belarusian authorities have their own vision on human rights in this country. Instead of ceasing violence against peaceful protesters, persecuting alternative thoughts and releasing political prisoners officials compare a domestic democracy level with those in neighbouring countries, members of the European Union. Siarhei Martynau, the minister of foreign affairs, declared: “We are sure that the human rights and democracy situation in Belarus is not worse than in neighbouring countries and even in EU countries. I think that if our parliament were to prepare a report on human rights in other countries they would find what to criticise about.”
