H.E. Vorontsov
Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus

Vienna, 20 April 1999

OPEN LETTER

Dear Mr. Vorontsov,

I am writing on behalf of the International League for Human Rights to convey our concerns over the recent warnings sent by the Ministry of Justice to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC).

In your most recent warning dated 5 March 1999, you are requesting that the BHC's status be amended as to comply with the Belarusian Law on Associations, which you interpret as allowing an organization to defend the human rights and freedoms of its members only.

The ILHR would like to remind you of the principles reaffirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, other international agreements joined by Belarus, including Helsinki documents, about the right of individuals to defend the human rights of their fellow citizens, individually or in association with others.

The ILHR is aware of the recent Presidential decree that aims to get rid of public associations through their re-registration. According to this decree, organizations that received warnings may be denied re-registration. This, we fear, is the reason for your Ministry's three such warnings to BHC.

We are therefore appealing to you to reconsider your position about the role of human rights organizations in Belarus and the status of the BHC as to comply with the recognized internationally rights of citizens to monitor the human rights situation in their country, not only when the fate of their organizations’ members is concerned. As a member of the OSCE, your government cannot ignore such rights.

We would greatly appreciate your prompt consideration of this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Catherine Fitzpatrick,

Executive Director