Front Line Defenders: Tax inspection service is being used by the authorities to put additional pressure on members of the Human Rights Center “Viasna”
Taciana has previously submitted a tax
declaration covering the period from 2004 to 2010 in which no
irregularities were found. Ms Taciana Reviaka is the president of the
Belarusian Human Rights House and a council member of the Human
Rights Centre Viasna, of which Mr Ales Bialiatski is the
chairman.
During the questioning at Pershamayski district Inspection,
Taciana Reviaka learnt that the inspection had received information
from Ales Bialiatski's criminal file 'from higher authorities',
regarding money transfers between his bank account and Taciana
Reviaka's account with a Lithuanian bank.
The criminal
investigation against Ales Bialiatski for 'tax evasion' was opened on
the basis of information about his bank accounts submitted by
Lithuania and Poland to the Belarusian authorities. Despite the fact
that the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially
refuted the information submitted and that during the court hearing
several witnesses and documents sent by donor organisations proved
that the money received in those accounts was for the purpose of
financing the human rights programs of the HRC Viasna, the court
decided to consider all the sums received to be personal assets of
the defender.
On 24 November 2011, Ales Bialiatski was found
guilty and condemned to four and a half years of imprisonment under a
strict regime, and all his property was confiscated. The court also
fined the human rights defender 721 million Belarusian Rubles
(approx. 63,800 EUR) for alleged unpaid taxes, 36 million Rubles
(approx. 3,200 EUR) for costs incurred by the state, and over 140
million Rubles (approx. 12,700 EUR) for the alleged late payment of
arrears.
Taciana Reviaka acted as a witness for the defence in
the criminal investigation against Ales Bialiatski. She has admitted
that she received money transfers from Ales Bialiatski's bank
accounts for the implementation of the HRC Viasna's human rights
programs, but refused to give details on how it was spent, quoting
her right not to bear witness against herself under Article 27 of the
Belarusian Constitution. It is feared that the money already
recognised as Ales Bialiatski's personal assets for which he was
fined for alleged unpaid taxes and alleged late payment of arrears,
could be also recognised as Taciana Reviaka's personal assets and
used as a pretext to open a criminal case against her.
Front
Line Defenders believes that the Tax inspection service is being used
by the authorities to put additional pressure on members of the Human
Rights Centre Viasna who have vowed to continue their defence of
human rights in Belarus despite the recent confiscation of the
organisation's office.