Uladzimer Labkovich: «Register is likely to be used by secret service»

“Data on a citizen, which will be included into the register, deal with personal life of an individual, which is inadmissible in a country where basic human values and rights prevail,” human right activist Uladzimer Labkovich said to the Charter’97 press center, commenting adoption the draft law “On population register” in the first reading by the “house of representatives.”

Developers of the draft law (the ministry of internal affairs) suggest to bring together all data on Belarusians (including information about property, workplace, education, marital status, blood group – all in all 26 characteristics) and thus form a common state register, where every Belarusian will receive an identification number.

What consequences can bring the adoption of this draft law to each of us in conditions of today’s regime?

As the human rights activist Uladzimer Labkovich, head of the legal commission at the Belarusian Popular Front, thinks, the law “On population register” has been prepared for political persecution of the opposition.

“This draft law makes me afraid, taking into consideration the situation in our country and the fact that the project initiator is the ministry of foreign affairs. in my view, such a register is meant for secret services, in other words for the ministry of internal affairs and the KGB to organise political persecution of the opponents to the regime, control society and make repressing mechanisms more effective, not for registration of citizens, as it said officially, “ Uladzimer Labkovich said to the Charter’97 press center.

In the human activist’s opinion, some countries have similar data bases, but they don’t include personal information, because it is regarded as invasion of privacy and is a subject to legal prosecution.

“In conditions of a democratic country, when everything is more or less transparent, society can control activity of authorities via free media, election and other democratic institutions, the improvement of registration of citizens don’t arouse much concern. But the data on a citizen, which will be included into the register, deal with private life of an individual, which is inadmissible in a country where basic human values and rights prevail,” the lawyer said.

Uladzimer Labkovich says “if the register is prepared, the authorities will put every person under control and will use personal information for pressure. So, I may think, it will tighten repression against people who are not satisfied with the existing regime,” the human rights activist is sure.