Belarusian Literary Fund Liquidated

07.05.2007.

According to RFE/RL

The sitting of the Supreme Court on liquidation of Belarusian Literary Fund lasted for about 10 minutes. The judge of the Supreme Court Valery Samaliuk read the court ruling to satisfy the suit of the Ministry of Justice on liquidation of the public association Belarusian Literary Fund, in absence of representatives of the organization.

The deputy director of BLF Mikalai Mikhnouski said that at 11.30 a.m. on 2 May the secretary of the Supreme Court and the chair of the organizational department of the Ministry of Justice came to the organization office and presented a summons to the trial that was appointed on 3 May. According to the deputy director, this time was not enough to prepare to the trial and find a lawyer.

‘It is impossible even to gather all members of the BLF council for one day. We solicited for deferment of the trial for making agreement with a lawyer, but the court didn’t satisfy this petition,’ Mr. Mikhnouski commented.

The BLF administration hoped that the trial would not take place in absence of its official representatives, but the judge decided otherwise. At the first sitting he listened to the pretensions to the Ministry of Justice and the prosecutor to the organization, and at the second – read the liquidation verdict. The formal reason for the liquidation is three warnings from the Ministry of Justice. The judge also declared the verdict final and non-appealable.

Belarusian Literary Fund was established in 1992 on the basis of the Belarusian department of the USSR Literary Fund. It was registered by the Ministry of Justice in 1992 and then twice reregistered.

The organization owns the after-work sanatorium for writers Islach (under arrest since 2002). In 2006 the main part of the sanatorium’s property (the main house, three cottages, boiler and the house of the service staff were put to an auction. Soon they will be sold. According to the BLF administration, after the liquidation of the organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice there will be established a commission which will manage its property.