European Union joins appeals for revision of decision to liquidate independent sociological center :: Charter'97 :: News

The Luxembourg presidency of the European Union has joined appeals to the Belarusian authorities to revise the Supreme Court’s April 15 decision to close down the Independent Institute for Social, Economic and Political Studies (IISEPS). The Supreme Court ordered the sociological center liquidated on the initiative of the justice ministry, which alleged irregularities in its activities.

In a statement issued last week, the EU presidency says that the Institute “plays an important and indispensable role in assessing Belarusian public opinion, including on elections.” “It has gained an excellent reputation for its professional and objective work. The closure of the Institute will further limit the availability of information on public opinion on various aspects of political, social and economic life in Belarus,” it says. “Conducting independent research into citizens’ views on topical issues is a normal activity of interest in any democratic society and we therefore urge the Belarusian authorities not to deprive its population - and themselves - of valuable and objective information about public opinion.”

The EU presidency notes that that the Supreme Court’s decision is “yet another sign of the attempt by authorities in Minsk to transform the Belarusian society into a closed one.”

“The Belarusian Government has, as a result of its policies, isolated itself from the offers and advantages contained in the EU’s Neighborhood Policy,” it says.

The EU presidency “once again” calls on the Belarusian authorities to respect the OSCE commitments and start “developing good relations with civil society in a constructive manner.”