Belarus To Suspend Activities Of Opposition Movement 'For Freedom'

The Belarusian Justice Ministry has initiated the suspension of the activities of the Movement For Freedom, the opposition association's leader, Yury Hubarevich, said on Thursday

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th July, 2021) The Belarusian Justice Ministry has initiated the suspension of the activities of the Movement For Freedom, the opposition association's leader, Yury Hubarevich, said on Thursday.

Gubarevich said investigators conducted a search in the organization's office in Minsk on Wednesday and shared a document on social media that came in from the Supreme Court of Belarus.

"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus has initiated a civil case on the request of the Justice Ministry ... against the human rights and education public association 'Movement 'For Freedom'' concerning the suspension of activities," the document read.

The court asked the opposition movement to send a representative on July 19 with relevant documents for a questioning in preparation for the trial.

On Wednesday, another Belarusian opposition organization, the human rights center Viasna � which has no official registration in Belarus � said that law enforcement officers searched homes of some of its members.

Viasna added that it could not reach out to its chief, Ales Bialiatski.

In early July, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that sleeper terrorist cells have been found countrywide, which are reportedly linked to Germany, the United States, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. According to Lukashenko, the cells seek to carry out a coup. The State Security Committee of Belarus confirmed that searches conducted all over the country were linked to a large-scale operation to root out these cells.

At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Lukasheko said that Belarus is scrutinizing the activities of NGOs operating in the country as well as Western-funded media. He accused them of "imposing not democracy, but terror."