Trial of Youth Christian-Social Union

Consideration of the suit of the Ministry of Justice against the Public Association “Youth Christian-Social Union” started on 2 June 2003 at the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus, as the organization had republican status. The case consideration started in absence of the organization Head, Kiryl Ihnatsik, who has gone to Russia. The Ministry of Justice was represented by Aliaksandr Kharyton, the main specialist of the Public Associations Board of the Ministry. He accused the organization of repeated law violations in its activity, such as “education activity not among the organization members but among youth in generally”, and also of different lacks in the accountancy – the failure of the organization seal to meat the demands of the Ministry of Justice, a mistake in the address stated as the place of the organization assembly and the juridical address in a dwelling apartment.

Aliaksandr Kharyton tried to prove that the organization assembly, its Board and its decisions were illegitimate.

The acting Head of the PA “Youth Christian-Social Union” Andrey Kazakevich said at the trial that before 2003 the organization hadn’t had any problems with the Ministry of Justice and hadn’t violated the law or, at least, tried not to do it. Several mistakes had been made, but they weren’t as serious as to endanger the organization’s reputation.

The advocate Pavel Sapielka said that the Ministry should have checked the organization activity since 1997 and pointed at the mistakes youth was making, not to compile them and then demand correction in ultimately short terms. His opinion was that if the activity of the youth organization had some deficiencies, they couldn’t serve as the reason for such a violent measure as liquidation.

Andrey Kazakevich thinks that the liquidation suit has been filed due to the active participation of the organization in the election to the local Deputy Soviets of Belarus.

The trial continuation was postponed to 2 p.m. on 3 June.