News on the topic: Viasna
26.05.2009 Nasha Viasna still awaiting reply from Ministry of Justice
May 25th was the deadline for the Ministry of Justice to reply to the application of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization. However, Nasha Viasna’s registration is still undecided. This is Nasha Viasna’s third attempt to obtain the official status. The human rights have repeatedly stressed this would be their last application, even in case it is not satisfied.
29.04.2009 Front Line issues statement on refusal to register human rights organisation Nasha Viasna
Front Line is concerned by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus, on 22 April 2009, to maintain the previous decision of the Ministry of Justice not to register the human rights organisation Nasha Viasna (Our spring). Nasha Viasna is the new name of the human rights centre previously known as Viasna (Spring), which was closed down by the Supreme Court following the demand of the Ministry of Justice on 28 November 2003. The human rights center Viasna is one of the most active Belarusian human rights organisations, specialising in particular in the defence, protection and promotion of political and social rights.
24.04.2009 Nasha Viasna to apply for registration for the last time
On 25 April the founders of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization are going to apply to the Ministry of Justice for registration for a third time. At the same time, they stress that this attempt will be the last, even in case the application is turned down again. ‘If the state represented by the Ministry of Justice is not ready, does not want or cannot register human rights NGOs, it will be a problem for the state itself. We can perform human rights activities without official registration. It is our legal right, guaranteed by the Constitution and the international human rights standards,’ said the human rights activist and one of Nasha Viasna’s co-founders Valiantsin Stefanovich.
22.04.2009 Supreme Court turns down claim by Nasha Viasna
On 22 April the Supreme Court of Belarus turned down the complaint by the founders of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization. Judge Ihar Milto found the decision by the Ministry of Justice legal due to certain procedural violations, including inaccuracies in the founders’ lists and the organization’s Charter. Besides, state duty payment receipt lacked the name of the NGO. All other arguments of the Ministry of Justice were found legally invalid. The court stressed that the above-mentioned flaws could not be corrected within the period of registration since the postponement of registration is not the duty but the right of the registration authority.
13.04.2009 Belarusian MFA ignores decision of UN Human Rights Committee
Ales Bialiatski, the chairman of the board of the Human Rights Center Viasna that was liquidated in October 2003, received an answer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to his recent inquiry. He asked the MFA to explain what measures had been taken for implementation of the ruling of the UN Human Rights Committee concerning registration of Viasna.
31.03.2009 Ales Bialiatski: ‘Currently, the Belarusian society is constrained by repressive legislation’
Shortly after the Nasha Viasna constituent congress on 29 March, the NGO’s Chair Ales Bialiatski commented on the underlying reasons for another attempt to obtain state registration. ‘In fact, there has been a continuous process: on the one hand, we have not appealed the refusal by the Ministry of Justice yet. On the other hand, we have held another constituent congress on 29 March to draw up one more application to the Ministry of Justice. The decision is closely connected to the extremely low amount of impartial considerations of similar refusals by the Supreme Court. One can count them on the fingers of one hand – the organizations that managed to protect their rights at the Supreme Court.
31.03.2009 Nasha Viasna helds congress
On 29 March, the Belarusian Popular Front’s central office hosted another constituent congress of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization, attended by its 82 representatives from all over the country. As a result of the congress, the human rights activists voted for the formation of the NGO, its charter and the action program. They also elected the governing bodies of the organization, including its Board, Chairperson and the auditing committee.
27.03.2009 Supreme Court to entertain claim by Nasha Viasna
Today on 27 March the co-founders of the Nasha Viasna human rights organization received a letter from the Supreme Court of Belarus saying that the complaint against the unlawful refusal to register the NGO was received for consideration by the court. The session is due to start on 7 April. On 26 February the Ministry of Justice resolved to deny registration to Nasha Viasna. The cofounders of the organization stress that the decision was groundless and illegal. They also claim it is an evidence of systematic discrimination against the founders and the members of Nasha Viasna, as well as a sign of disrespect for the rights of Belarusian citizens.
20.03.2009 Nasha Viasna to keep striving for registration
The co-founders of the human rights organization Nasha Viasna have declared that they would continue their attempts to obtain the official status. They have arrived at a decision to hold another congress and once again apply for registration at the Ministry of Justice. On February 26 the NGO was denied registration due to ‘the violation of holding its constituent congress’. Therefore, Nasha Visna is now looking for premises to hold the meeting. However, the NGO is likely to face numerous refusals by state-owned enterprises.
17.03.2009 Human rights activist Ales Bialiatski addresses Belarusian Foreign Minister
‘I, Ales Bialiatski, am Chair of the Council of the Public Association Human Rights Center Viasna, closed down by verdict of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus of 28 October 2003. Considering the decision of the Supreme Court a violation of the freedom of association and having failed to receive an adequate remedy on the national level, ten founders of the Public Association Human Rights Center Viasna used their constitutional right and submitted an individual complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee.
12.03.2009 Fantasies of the Ministry of Justice about ‘Nasha Viasna’
On 11 March the press-release On denial of the state registration to the Civil human rights association ‘Nasha Viasna’ appeared on the web-site of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus. We, human rights defenders, cannot leave this information without notice.
09.03.2009 Human rights civil association ‘Brestskaya Viasna’ is denied registration again
The fourth attempt to register the human rights organization in Brest oblast was unsuccessful. The main justice department of Brest oblast executive committee refused to register the civil human rights association Brestskaya Viasna.
04.03.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: no one can prohibit human rights activities to me
Lawyer Valiantsin Stefanovich, one of the founders of the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, gave the following commentary concerning the registration denial:
03.03.2009 Refusal to register ‘Nasha Viasna’ is a manifestation of systematic and purposeful discrimination of human rights activists
On 2 March 2009 the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus decided to deny the state registration to the civil human rights association Nasha Viasna, the successor of the liquidated civil association Human Rights Center ‘Viasna’.
03.03.2009 Uladzimir Labkovich: ‘It is obvious that non-registration of ‘Nasha Viasna’ is a political decision’
Today on our own initiative we have received a copy of the decision of the Ministry of Justice concerning the registration denial to us (we could not receive it by mail as quickly as that, because it is dated 2 March). Bear in mind that the answer was taken after the expiry of the legally established term for giving such answers.
