Public Association “Private Initiatives” Closed :: Charter'97 :: News

On April 18 Vitsebsk regional court suspended activities of a public association “Private Initiatives”. According to the information of the press service of the NGO Assembly, the public association has been liquidated by a suit of the legal department of regional executive committee. The method of the liquidation of NGOs is developed: first they are deprived of premises, which causes legal address loss, which is viewed by officials as “systematic violation of the statute”.

In this case the same thing has happened. The house management of Pershamajski district of Vitsebsk refused to extend a rental contract which ended in summer of 2005. The head if the NOG Syarhei Shelehau told to the court that he tried to reach compromise with city authorities on the problem of legal address, In particular, he addressed the city executive committee two times to change the situation. However local authorities haven’t allowed the “Private Initiatives” to rent the premises again.

The attempts to find new headquarters for the “Private Initiatives” were unsuccessful. “We were either denied premises, or offered too high costs of rent,” Syarhei Shelehau said.

As a result, one of the oldest democratic organizations of Vitsebsk is deprived of legal status. Besides, the NGO is to pay legal costs of 150,000 BYR.