belarus executive summary - US Department of State

BELARUS 31
prodemocracy activists from celebrating the March 25 anniversary of the country’s
initial declaration of independence in 1918, an event the government does not
recognize. Of at least 50 opposition activists detained on March 25, the majority
were apprehended ahead of the demonstrations. Authorities blocked a number of
opposition, youth, and civil society leaders in their residences early in the morning,
or detained them while they were en route to demonstration sites, to prevent their
leading demonstrations. Police dispersed a small gathering in central Minsk and
fenced off another site at a downtown park where the activists intended to lay
flowers, citing an alleged bomb threat.
On December 19, civil society activists gathered at a Catholic cathedral in
downtown Minsk to mark the first anniversary of the December 2010 crackdown
of postelection demonstrations and the continued detention of political prisoners.
Police arrested more than 50 activists, and authorities sentenced at least 28 persons
to up to 15 days in jail or fines up to 1.05 million rubles ($127) on December 20.
Eight journalists were detained in Minsk and one in Vitsyebsk. Police searched
their belongings and equipment and released them without charge.
Freedom of Association
The law provides for freedom of association; however, the government severely
restricted it in practice.
The government enforced laws and registration regulations to restrict the operation
of independent associations that might be critical of the government. All NGOs,
political parties, and trade unions must receive prior approval from the Ministry of
Justice to register. A government commission reviews and approves all
registration applications; in practice its decisions were based largely on political
and ideological compatibility with the government’s authoritarian philosophy.
NGOs are also required to receive the approval and to register all foreign grants
and technical aid with the Department for Humanitarian Affairs under the
presidential administration; otherwise, they are banned from appropriating these
funds.
In November authorities enforced amendments to the already strict law on public
associations that banned NGOs from keeping funds at foreign financial institutions
for local activities. The law also prohibited NGOs from facilitating provision of
any support or benefits from foreign states to Belarusian citizens based on their
political, religious views or ethnicity, clearly aimed at the Polish minority.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011
United States Department of State • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor