Human-rights defenders have been turned out of their office (Photo) :: Charter'97 :: News

On 19 January when Mr. van der Linden, Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, was on his visit to Minsk for arranging a dialogue with Belarusian authorities, the chief household-management department of the administrative service of the president of Belarus notified the Belarusian Helsinki Committee about termination of the contract on renting the office and delivered the order for its vacating until January 20, 2007.Today the human-rights defenders have come to the office for collecting their belongings-documents books- and taking them to their private flats to continue working at home, in case they are not allowed to enter the office.

The headquarters of the BHC had been registered in this office (68 Minsk, Libknehta street, apartment 1201) since 1998 .The public reception for rendering legal assistance to the population was also located there.

After receiving on 19 December 2006 the notification of the contract termination and despite of available vacant premises in the same building and other buildings belonging to the chief household- management department of the administrative service of the president of Belarus all attempts of the BHC to retain the office and legal address in that administrative building failed. As per the corresponding law, the legal address cancellation, consequently, causes liquidation of the public organization.

“Today we declare to the chief household- management department of the administrative service of the president of Belarus that we have the primary right for concluding another contract for renting the same premises because it is going to be rent out next year. The chief household- management department of the administrative service of the president of Belarus replies that we had , supposedly, outstanding payments but ,at present, according to the corresponding act we have even overpaid the rent. This case has nothing to do with our breaching certain arrangements but with unwillingness of the renter to extend the agreement. We are aware of vacant rooms in this building but we are not allowed to rent them,” reported Aleg Gulak, deputy chairman of the Helsinki Committee, to the press-center of the Charter’97.

“If we are not allowed to enter the building, we shall take the necessary documents home to work their. We do not have any property at present, but only the books and documents,” Aleg Gulak says.

In December 2006 the bailiffs confiscated properties of the Helsinki Committee-computer, fax and furniture. The properties were arrested as per the decision of the Highest Administrative Court on the case of taxation of the assets , received within the TACIS program.

The BHC was made to pay the taxies and penalties amounting to USD75000.

The actions of the Belarusian authorities against the BHC were condemned by the international human-rights community.