Belarusian Helsinki Committee Loses Office

Operation department of the President’s Office cancels the rent agreement and demands that BHC leaves its office.

The agreement is cancelled on the alleged ground that BHC failed to pay the rent on time. BHC was supposed to leave the office before January 20. The leadership of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee claims cancellation of the rent contract is illegal. It is registered in their accounting books that they have never delayed payment of the rent for more than 2 months, and have always paid the fine. The organization has been located at that address since 1998. Loss of the legal address may lead to closure of the organization.

Tatsiana Protska, BHC chairperson, stressed they would defend their right to that office. They have already applied to the operation department of the President’s Office for another office in the same building. Today BHC leadership plans to hold a negotiation with the representatives of the operation department in conjunction with cancellation of the renting contract.