Labkovich: Civil society activity paralyzed in Belarus

• 13.10.2011, 14:10

Tough amendments to laws may have a reverse effect.

Human rights activist Uladzimir Labkovich commented on the amendments to the legislation regulating public and political activity in the country and called the changes “absolutely improper and repressive”.

“Our laws that regulate grant aid did not give NGOs and unions an opportunity for normal activity,” Labkovich noted. “Earlier, the law prescribed only administrative responsibility, but now the draft law prescribes criminal responsibility, up to two years in prison. This means that civil society activity is paralyzed in Belarus.”

All spheres of existence of independent society are “practically criminalized”, the human rights activist says. “We cannot say about holding peaceful gatherings any more, about activity of NGOs and political parties, because this law relate policy and public activity to criminal sphere. Political and civil activity wil turn into dissidence,” Labkovich supposes.

He emphasizes that if the authorities apply this legislation practically, it can ended with “committing crimes against humanity, especially applying the draft law on state security bodies”.