Belarusian Organization of Working Women Warned

On 29 July the Public association “Belarusian Organization of Working Women” received a written warning, signed by the first vice-Minister of Justice, Mr. Petrash.

Last week the first check-up for the whole organization history was held by Natallia Kebikava, the main specialist of the Board of Public Associations at the Ministry of Justice. As a result Belarusian Organization of Working Women was warned for alleged violations of its own Statute, the law “About Public Associations” and other legislative acts. For instance, the organization was accused of deficient accountancy, violation of the instruction about production and keeping of seals, printing of the wrong juridical address at the organization blank and creation of bodes that weren’t described in the Statute.

It’s quite interesting that usually after check-ups organizations are given time for correction of the made mistakes and warnings are issued only after repeated check-ups. Maryia Aliyeva, Head of the Board of “Belarusian Organization of Working Women” says: “It is the first check-up, but they didn’t give us any time, and warned at once. If the State is interested in qualified accountancy, it should treat public associations somewhat milder. By their recent actions the authorities have demonstrated their distaste against the public sector and public activity”.

It’s worth mentioning that the PA “Belarusian Organization of Working Women” is an active participant of “Our Solidarity” campaign, initiated by organization-members of the Assembly of NGOs. It is the third victim among the campaign members for this month. Before it, a warning was issued to “Independent Association of Legal Research” and the PA “Human Rights Center “Viasna” was checked-up for the fifth time.

“The present warnings are a preventive measure for intimidation of the widest circles of active and large public associations. We try to watch all the check-ups of public associations and can say it for sure that all of the recent ones have ended with warnings. The Ministry of Justice shows its attitude. After the first warnings it will issue the second ones or decide the matter of liquidation for the associations”, -- thinks Alena Tankavhova, Head of the Board of the PA “Independent Association of Legal Research”.

Aliona Hireyeva, press service of the Assembly of NGOs