Last month, the Belarusian Ministry of Tax and Duties requested the Ministry of Justice to initiate the process of closing down the Belarus Helsinki Committee. A communication was received by BHC in June 2011 for alleged violation of Belarus' tax laws, requiring it to pay more than 240 million Belarusian Rubles (approximately 28000 US Dollars) in taxes and fines for receiving a grant from the European Commission back in 2002-2003.
Previously, in January 2011, the BHC received a warning from the Ministry of Justice for allegedly violating the Law on Civic Organisations and Mass Media and for spreading dubious information discrediting the law enforcement and justice agencies of Belarus. This accusation relates to a letter sent by BHC to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers outlining the intimidations lawyers faced while representing opposition leaders following the flawed elections of December 2010.
The Belarusian government has ignored calls by the international community to remove restrictions on civil society activities despite a number of recommendations made to it, including during its Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. "Organisations that do not find favour by the government because of their independent stance are vulnerable to enhanced scrutiny and pervasive harassment," said Adele Poskitt, Policy Officer at CIVICUS. "We have been watching the systemic disintegration of the basic human rights in Belarus despite protestations by civil society and the people of Belarus."
The Supreme Court has failed to respond to an appeal by BHC challenging the violations alleged by the government. Several well-respected civil society organisations, including Viasna Human Rights Centre, have had their activities curtailed in a similar manner. The notorious article 193.1 of Belarus' criminal code criminalises unregistered NGO activity.
"Several months ago, the leader of the Belarusian human rights center, Viasna Ales Bialiatski was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for alleged tax evasion in regards to the funds that he had collected to help political prisoners," said Yury Chavusau, lawyer of the Assembly of NGOs in Belarus. "Belarusian authorities are harassing human rights defenders under financial and tax pretences, which has become a convenient subject for use in domestic propaganda."
CIVICUS urges the international community to maintain sustained pressure on the Belarusian government which continues with the policy of trampling the human rights of the Belarusian people while persecuting independent civil society in Belarus in violation of international obligations.
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is a global movement of civil society dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society across the world
