On October 16 the Supreme Court of Belarus liquidated a public association “The Brothers Lutskewichy’s Fund” under the appeal of the Ministry of Justice. The judge Nikalai Babkow considered that the claims made by the Ministry of Justice had grounds: the breach of law during the registration in 1999, the non-compliance of the stamp to the law, the incorrectly registered juridical address - the Fund is located in a residential house. Moreover, the judge considered that the association violated the law by not registering a number of its local branches.

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A number of public activists supported the initiative of the president of the World Association of Belarusian Jews Jakaw Gutmann to take the president of the Belarusian state and other officials on a tour through the places confirming the anti-Semitic politics of the authorities. Jakaw Gutmann’s address was sent to Lukashenka and his circle and was supported by a director, a member of the Council of “Free Belarus” Jury Khaschewatsky, the headmaster of the Belarusian Humanities Lyceum Uladzimir Kolas, a deputy, a member of “Respublika” Uladzimir Parfianowich, the ex-minister of the international affairs Piotar Krauchanka. The action is scheduled to take place in Minsk on Monday, October 20.

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The department of justice of Homel regional executive committee made an appeal to the court requesting to liquidate Homel regional civic women union “Initiative”. This fact was announced by Halina Skarahod, the chairperson of the Union, who got a writ to come to the court on October 20. While the head is only assuming possible reasons for the liquidation of “Initiative”. One of the reasons why the union received a warning in writing this August was that its juridical address was in a residential building. Following the requirements of the Department of Justice Ms. Skarahod found a new address in village Jaromina, Homel’s province. All the documentation was sent for a consideration to Homel regional executive committee, where she was told that the documents will be considered on September 23.

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The rights’ defenders from Russia, the Ukraine, Tajikistan, Armenia, Kyrgyz, Kazakhstan and from other states-members of CIS and Poland have approved a special statement on the state of affairs of rights’ defenders in Belarus. The statement will be sent to the Bureau of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, OSCE, the UN Secretary General representatives on rights’ defenders, the Supreme Court of Belarus, the president and the Minister of Justice. In the statement is brought to consideration that liquidation of the non-governmental organizations in Belarus threatens human rights’ defending organizations, which monitor the violation of human rights, and provide legal assistance to the population. The rights’ defenders question the juridical grounds of the liquidation of rights’ defending and civic associations and believe that their activities facilitate the construction of a democratic state and are a significant guaranty of human rights protection.

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As the chief editor Pauliuk Kanavalchyk said to “Pahonya”, all publishing houses in Minsk rejected publishing “Navinki”. According to his words, wherever he went they told him that they were too overloaded with work, as well as the publishing house “Chyrvonaya Zorka”. Regardless the fact, that it has signed a contract with the newspaper. Now the editors are going to the court to appeal against the refusal to meet the requirements of the contract. “Today we are deprived of the opportunity to be published, regardless the fact that the time of probation is already over. Thus, the authorities are closing a legal paper,” said Pauliuk Kanavalchyk.

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