To: Alexander Lukashenko
Republic of Belarus
FAX: 011 375 172 26 06 10

Amb. Michael Kozak
U.S. Embassy Minsk
FAX: +375 172 34 78 53

January 9, 2001

Dear Mr. Lukashenko,

The International League for Human Rights, an international non-governmental human rights organization with consultative status at ECOSOC UN, is writing to express serious concern about the continuing harassment of Viasna [Spring], a prominent Belarusian human rights NGO.

On December 19, 2000, Viasna received its second warning from the Justice Ministry, alleging that the Center had not responded to the Ministry's first warning, and threatening to close the organization if no written response was received within two weeks. The first warning, sent on October 26, 2000, claimed that the name of the organization did not match the one on its registration certificate. According to the Ministry, instead of the "incorrect" Viasna Human Rights Center, the organization's title on its stationery and literature, the title should read Viasna Public Association Human Rights Center. Despite the Ministry's insistent claim that Viasna did not respond, Valentin Stefanovich, Viasna's legal adviser, stated that he mailed a response to the first warning on November 27, 2000. Furthermore, the distinction between "Human Rights Center" and "Public Association Human Rights Center" appears non-existent, and seems to have been concocted merely to harass this group.

These Justice Ministry warnings appear to be part of a pattern of harassment of this and other human rights groups in Belarus which are outspoken and uncompromising in advocating human rights protection. As these groups have gained more public support and renown, the government backlash against them has grown more fierce. Viasna, in particular, has been pressured by the Justice Ministry to leave out of its registration papers the very right to defend human rights--its core mandate. This is in gross violation of the commitments undertaken by Belarus to uphold international standards for freedom of speech and assembly, and also the right to "know and act upon one's rights" within the OSCE framework, and Belarus' commitment to uphold the principles of the Defenders' Declaration of the United Nations General Assembly. Indeed, the notions of some states that human rights protection does not include recognition of the right to vocal human rights advocacy as well as legal defense for the public at large were specifically rejected during the negotiation process of the Defenders' Declaration and in the final text.

The League calls upon you and your government to immediately cease the harassment of Viasna and other NGOs in keeping with your international commitments and your stated intention of legalizing NGOs.

Belarus can never be considered part of the democratic European community until the government takes appropriate measures to assure that the crucial freedoms of speech and assembly are protected and upheld.

Thank you for your attention. We await your response.

Sincerely,

Catherine Fitzpatrick
Executive Director