WATCH THE HUMAN RIGHTS MATCH WITH US IN BELARUS!

The current legal and political situation in Belarus is incompatible with the international obligations and standards on freedom of peaceful assembly and association. A wide range of individuals and organizations face excessive bureaucracy, harassment, and persecution. Foster parents, adoptive families, ethnic minorities, environmentalists, humanitarian workers, and artists are subject to strict controls and deprived of basic human rights. Belarusian non-governmental organizations have an obligation to register with the relevant authorities, and the failure to do so can result in prosecution. This registration is subject to strict rules and the decision to reject it is irreversible. Even those NGOs that are granted registration are closely monitored and their registration can be suspended at any time for sometimes trivial reasons. In 2011, a new law was passed which prohibits Belarusian non-governmental organizations to save money in banks abroad. Receiving foreign donations is also against the law and may be punished.
Article 193-1 of the Belarus Criminal Code criminalizes any activity carried out on behalf of an unregistered organization, be it a political party or religious organization. In 2011, the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission stated that „by its very existence Article 193-1 has a chilling effect on the activities of non-governmental organizations,“ and that „the restriction is so severe that it not only restricts freedom of association but also freedom of opinion and expression to an unjustifiable degree.“
The law „on mass events,“ which came into force in 1997, makes it difficult to hold public meetings, as it contains an exhaustive list of prohibitions and conditions necessary for their implementation. These prohibitions include organizing demonstrations in city centers, underground stations, and near the presidential residence. Organizations that disobey the law risk immediate termination.