Office of “For Defense of Constitution” Initiative Sealed

21.09.2004.

Recently the doors of the Vitebsk office of BSDH party have been sealed. This was the office where members of Initiative “For Defense of Constitution” used to gather. Seals were also found on the doors of BSDP “NH” and UCP offices located at the same building in Herzen Street, 10/7.

In June the political parties received official notes from management of construction trust #9 that the leasing contracts would be cancelled. Some representatives of this construction company admitted in informal conversations that they had received an order from the city authorities to “remove” the political parties from the state-owned building. In June the situation was resolved with the help of lawyers who proved that cancellation of the leasing contract was invalid.

Now, when the civic initiative, created to oppose Lukashenka’s referendum, became well-known in the city, Vitebsk political parties are not sure that relations with construction trust # 9 may be regulated in a “peaceful” way.

At least, at that moment about 2 dozen local members of the Initiative, who came from all corners of Vitebsk region, had to conduct a meeting outside, reports RFE/RL.