BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/01/2007

Belarus authorities expel leading human rights group from its offices

The Associated Press

MINSK, Belarus: Belarus authorities have expelled leading human rights organization the Belarusian Helsinki Committee from its offices, the group said Monday.

"The government wants to take revenge for our human rights activities and are trying to destroy us," Helsinki Committee's head Tatyana Protko said.

She said a presidential property management body had ordered the rights organization to vacate premises in a building it had rented from the state since 1998. Protko said the Helsinki Committee would appeal the decision, adding that the move to deprive it of a legal address came as it had stepped up contacts with Western Europe.

Officials at the presidential property agency declined to comment.

Belarus' Justice Ministry last year sought to close down the Belarusian Helsinki Committee - accusing it of posting unauthorized observers during 2004 parliamentary elections, occupying office premises reserved for residential housing and committing gross tax violations.

The move against a persistent critic of the authoritarian ex-Soviet nation's leader Alexander Lukashenko followed unprecedented protests against his disputed re-election in March.

In December, authorities confiscated the group's computer equipment and furniture but the courts stopped short of closing the Helsinki Committee.

Source:

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/22/europe/EU-GEN-Belarus-Rights.php