Justice ministry claims five GONGOs are civil society organizations

May 23, BPN. The Belarusian Ministry of Justice has designated five government-established organizations to be considered as “subjects of civil society” granted special rights to interact with state agencies. 

Special rights, as stipulated by the new civil society law adopted in February, include sending delegates to the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly and interacting with the public. 

The associations officially designated as “subjects of civil society” are allowed to engage in “moral and patriotic education of citizens,” the justice ministry said. 

The list includes the pro-governmental public association Biełaja Ruś, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus as well as official veteran, women’s and youth associations. All of them are extremely loyal and accountable to Alaksandr Łukašenka. Their members regularly participate in election campaigns as observers and election commissioners and are said to play a role in rigging elections.

Human rights groups criticized the civil society law for establishing a hierarchy of associations based on their loyalty to the government.