Tax Office To Turn Human Rights Activist Into “Social Parasite”

Aliaksei Kolchyn, a member of the Human Rights Center “Viasna” and the head of its Mahilyou branch, received a notice from a local tax office.

The Tax Office of Leninsky district of Mahilyou demands that he comes to the tax office as soon as possible to give explanations, as provided for by the decree “On the prevention of social dependency”. According to the HRC “Viasna”, the human rights activist, being a person who is “not involved in financing of public expenditures”, should pay 360 Belarusian rubles as the tax on “social parasitism” before November 15.

Aliaksei Kolchyn has decided to wait and not to go to the tax office:

– I am not going there yet. I will wait, until they send me a request for payment of the tax. Of course, we should resist to this in some way, we should appeal against this decree and take some actions, and that’s what we are going to do in the nearest future. Citizens should argue the legality of this tax with our state.

The lawyer Barys Bukhel noted in his comments on the decree “On the prevention of social dependency” that the issues related to taxation and labor are more within the sphere of activity of trade unions. Despite this he intends to provide his assistance to those who have faced violation of their rights in this regard:

– I think, that in case of “tax on social parasitism” human rights defenders should form a common front with lawyers of independent trade unions and provide all possible assistance. I think that a common strategy will be developed in the nearest future and we will act according to it.