Ministry of Justice didn’t register “Nasha Viasna” due to “incorrect name”

On May 28, co-founder of “Nasha Viasna” human rights association received a decision of the Ministry of Justice “on denial state registration to the NGO”.

Human rights activists think the grounds for refusal to register is unlawful, website spring96.org reports.

This time, the official letter signed by deputy minister A. Bodak brings forward the next argument to explain the reasons for the refusal to register the NGO: “The second part of the name (Nasha Viasna, or Our Spring) doesn’t conform to the organization status”.

The Ministry of Justice blames the NGO leadership and other representatives of the organization for “creating obstacles” to the registration agency during checking the documents applied for registration.

“This time, the Ministry of Justice presents the grounds that we find difficult to comment on as we don’t understand their meaning. For example, it is difficult to comment on a statement saying the name of our organization doesn’t conform to its status. I can just say that these notices by the Ministry of Justice – allegedly hindering documents and legal address checks – are not based on the Law of Belarus on Non-Governmental Organizations and can’t serve a ground for refusal to register the organization,” Valyantsin Stefanovich, one of the co-founders of “Nasha Viasna”, says.

It should be noticed that it’s the third time when the Ministry of Justice has said it can’t register the NGO because the founders and members of the organization were brought to administrative responsibility.

“They wrote this in 2007, and in their previous refusal, too. They write this again. But there were two cases when the court didn’t find these facts lawful for refusal to register, as the law don’t have such grounds. Why do the do so? I suppose they have an aim of discrediting human rights activists in the eyes of the Belarusian society,” Valyantsin Stefanovich thinks.

Representatives of the unregistered organization find this decision by the Ministry of Justice politically motivated.

“The reasons and explanations by the Ministry of Justice are concocted out of thin air. They are absolutely far-fetched, they are based on speculations, for example an argument about the name of the organization hasn’t been mentioned in trials before. It’s clear that the registration agency makes its best for our human rights organization not to exist legally in Belarus. It is obviously a political plot, a politically motivated decision,” notes Uladzimri Labkovich, a legal representative of “Nasha Viasna” co-founders.

Head of the organization Ales Byalyatski adheres to a similar opinion. He notes non-registration human rights organizations is a demonstration of the real human rights situation in the country.

“I don’t understand the reasons for refusal, all claims by the Ministry of Justice don’t have anything in common with the reality and sound like nonsense. Taking into consideration formal character of the refusal, we can suppose it is a political plot. Stubborn refusal to register the human rights association during three years is discrimination of the people of Belarus and denial of the right of association. The fact the authorities are afraid to register new human rights organizations is a demonstration of the fact the country has to make a long way to improving the situation with democracy and human rights. In spite of the refusal, we, human rights activists, are going to continue our activity,” Ales Byalyatski told.

In accordance with the law, human rights defenders are going to appeal the Supreme Court of Belarus against the decision of the Ministry of Justice. They are also going to make a complaint, based of the three refusals to register, to the UN Human Rights Committee.

“We regard it as a systemic discrimination against the founders and members of Viasna human center, the UN Human Rights Committee has an appropriate decision on violation of their rights. The Committee demands the authorities to restore this organization in its rights. We see how this demand is being implemented: the Ministry of Justice doesn’t register the third organization we try to register,” Valyantsin Stefanovich reminds.

Well, it is the third attempt to register Viasna human rights association, now under the title “Nasha Viasna”. The Minister OF Justice denied registration two times – in 2007 and 2009. The last refusal to register was received on February 26 this year. Human rights activists appealed the Supreme Court against this decision. On April 22, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus upheld an appeal of “Nasha Viasna” founders against the decision by the Ministry of Justice to refuse the registration.