Belarus shuts down dozens of ‘damaging’ rights groups

BELARUS yesterday shut down dozens of human rights groups and “brainwashing” charities as the regime continues to crack down on dissent.

President Alexander Lukashenko has taken a hard line against any opposition after hundreds of thousands took to the streets last summer protesting against an election widely seen as rigged.

Authorities announced that they had withdrawn licences from more than 25 NGOS which have been helping refugees, promoting the rights of disabled people and standing up for media freedom and the environment.

This week, four leading members of the Viasna rights group were arrested – taking the number of political prisoners in Belarus to 587. “We have never seen

‘People in Belarus are shocked and panicked – nobody knows what is going to happen next’

anything like this in the history of Belarus since its independence,” said Barys Haretski, the deputy chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, who fled to Ukraine earlier this week.

Mr Lukashenko announced the campaign against NGOS in a speech earlier this week, accusing the West of using charities to brainwash Belarusians and undermine his rule.

“We have looked around – the damage they caused to the state! We’re now cleaning it up,” he said.

One of the targeted NGOS is Imena, a charity which has been raising money to treat rare diseases, and support victims of domestic violence and orphans.

“People are shocked and panicked. No one knows what’s going to happen next,” said Katerina Sinyuk of Imena.

The regime made international headlines in May when Belarus orchestrated a fake bomb threat to force a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk in order to arrest a prominent critic on the flight.