BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/12/2007

Belarusian Supreme Court Denies Registration Of Movement For Freedom

The Supreme Court of Belarus on December 18 upheld a Justice Ministry decision to deny registration to the Movement for Freedom, an organization led by former presidential candidate Alyaksandr Milinkevich, Belapan reported. The Justice Ministry has twice turned down the Movement for Freedom's requests to be officially registered: in July, citing alleged flaws in the organization's charter, and in October, arguing that the movement's founding conference violated the law governing mass events. Founders of the Movement for Freedom claimed that the law on mass events does not apply to the founding conference of a nongovernmental organization. "If the Supreme Court finds that the Justice Ministry's arguments are true and does not oblige the ministry to register us, we will hold founding conferences and apply for registration time and time again," Milinkevich said at the court. "We will force the situation to absurdity," he added. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/12/3-cee/cee-191207.asp