EU condemns Belarus court ruling against human rights group News
EU condemns Belarus court ruling against human rights group

[JURIST] The European Union [official website] Wednesday condemned a court decision in Belarus [JURIST archive] imposing harsh penalties on a leading human rights group. The Belarussian Helsinki Committee (BHC) [official website] had been fined for alleged unpaid taxes on money received from the EU TACIS Program [EU backgrounder] and its chairwoman and chief accountant have been threatened with criminal prosecution The EU fears the allegations are politically motivated and reaffirmed its support for the work of the BHC, which it says works to promote OSCE principles in Belarus. Last month, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe [official website] expressed concern [press release] about restrictive legislation added to Belarus' Criminal Code to curb dissent [JURIST report]. Radio Free Europe has more.