The minister of justice was not congratulated

[Dec 12]:

“Today we do not congratulate you on the anniversary of the adoption of Human Rights Declaration, as we consider that your activities neglect this important international document”, - is said in the paper, sent to the Minister of Justice.

The appeal was signed by 12 prohibited organizations. The document was adopted in frames of the campaign “Our Solidarity”, that was initiated by the organizations-members of the Assembly of NGOs in May this year.

Practically a year has passed since the Minister of Justice Mr. Hałavanaŭ met with representatives of the third sector. At this meeting the Minister tried to convince that the Ministry and he personally will do everything for the development of civic community in Belarus. At the meeting there was made an agreement to organize round tables with representatives of the lawyers’ board for the discussion of the issues of legal defense of citizens.

Today we can say, that all the statements of the Minister with regard to cooperation of the Ministry and public associations, to the problem of the defense of human rights were insincere and deceitful.

This year there has been adopted the Decree #13 of the President of Belarus, which prohibited the participation of representatives of public associations in civic legal proceedings, though it contradicts Article #62 of the Constitution of the Republic f Belarus. There was launched the campaign of “extermination” of the third sector. As the result of the campaign there were prohibited about 20 public associations, among them there are organizations, which participated in the meeting with Mr. Hałavanaŭ. A great number of organizations have received warnings and are in turn for legal liquidation.

The prohibited organizations – signatories of the appeal - blame Mr. Hałavanaŭ and other employers of the Ministry of Justice of their disrespect to the right to associations and of their destructive work, aimed at the suppression of civic activities in the society. The signatories consider that the Minister of Justice as a person did not cope with his official responsibilities and must give up his post.

The appeal was signed by 12 prohibited organizations: the Assembly of NGOs, human rights defense center “Viasna”, national charitable public association “Helping Hand”, Harodnia voblasč public association “Ratuša”, Homel voblasč public association “Civil Initiatives”, etc.

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