Current

The government of Alexander Lukashenko has followed the path of dictatorial regimes since 1996. The international community, as well as the European Union have condemned the well documented rigging of elections, the arrest of citizens with dissenting political views and especially views that reflect the principles of liberal democracies.

European Foreign ministries have extended their 1996 ban on travel to EU countries imposed on Alexander Lukashenko and 30 of his cabinet ministers.

The violation of human rights and imprisonment of people for political reasons continue to dominate the reports of renowned human rights groups and organizations.

One of the most high-profile cases of government abuse of power in the last two years has been the case of New Life Church, well documented and reported by the U.S. Department of State and NGOs who monitor human rights around the world.

The case involving the registration of New Life Church in Minsk remains unresolved. The church faced closure because authorities refused to register it at a barn it owned and wished to use for worship; its unregistered status made all its activities illegal. In July 2006 the Minsk City Economic Court ordered the group to vacate the barn and to sell the property to the city at a price far below market value. The 1,000 strong church has so far refused to comply with the decisions of the government and continues to meet in their building.

The government has now shifted its focus onto Viacheslav (Slava) Gonchar?nko, pastor of New Life Church in Minsk. On March 13 the authorities sent Mr. Goncharenko a letter demanding of him and his family to vacate his house and demolish it by March 18, 2008.

This ordinance was signed by the deputy executive of the district Administration Dmitry Novitski.

According to a press release of New Life Church, Mr. Goncharenko's house was built in the year 2000 in accordance with the Frunzenski district executive committee permission. Sometime later the property came under the jurisdiction of the Central District and the administration began claiming the initial permission to build the house was improper. As a result of the Central District Administration denial, Slava Goncharenko appealed to a court which is to take place on March 31, 2008.
While on surface level the situation with pastor Goncharenko may appear to be only a random property dispute, the history of the case and the facts show differently. It is clear that the Belarusian authorities' determination to harass the pastor and his family are closely related to the case of New Life Church.

As freedom loving and free thinking people, we cannot remain silent against such gross violation of human rights and human dignity. No government should ever have the right to order people to vacate and demolish their own homes in four days! No administrative dispute, even if it had some legal grounds (which it doesn't in this case) deserves such outrages action as demonstrated by the Minsk authorities in question.

The violation of basic human rights, as the right to own property is yet another example of the moral and legal failure of the present administration in Belarus.
We demand that the government immediately reconsiders its actions against Viacheslav Goncharenko and his family, as well as their actions against New Life Church. As Bulgarian citizens and Europeans who share the democratic values of a free society, we demand the Minsk authorities responsible for these immoral actions immediately cease their intentions of forcing the pastor and his family out of their home and possibly demolishing it.

This latest case is not the only case of violation of human rights in Belarus or it might not even be the worst. However, we have chosen this drastic violation to mark the beginning of a systematic and dedicated Bulgarian led campaign for the defense of liberty, democracy and human rights in Belarus.

The Bulgarian Committee for Defense of Liberty, Democracy and Human Rights in Belarus will inform society of the actions taken by the Belarusian government against its own citizens. Further, we will also offer an in-depth analysis of the relationships between Bulgaria and Belarus, and possible recommendations to the Bulgarian government should we discover that Bulgaria in any way has been or is at present an ally whether actively or passively to the authoritarian regime of Alexander Lukashenko.
It's our moral and human obligation to raise our voices against the practices of any abusive, totalitarian government, but especially when this happens in 21st century Europe.

Sofia, Bulgaria
March 17, 2008