Belarus enquires civil activists' bank information from Czech Republic
"Our House" representative Volha Karach was even interrogated in the Czech financial committee. A source in Prague claims no serious info was passed to Minsk.
Belarus sent an enquiry about the unregistered organization
International Center of civil initiatives "Our House" to the Czech
Republic before the presidential election. The organization's representative
Volha Karach was interrogated by the Financial Committee in Prague in September
2010.
"I explained I had no bank accounts, and
that this enquiry was politically motivated", – said Karach in a conversation with Euroradio's
correspondent.
Volha has no personal bank accounts in Prague;
however, it was the organization's account which interested Belarus.
This June, Volha received a letter from the
Belarusian tax inspection demanding she should give explanations with regard to
her "incomes from abroad". As Volha will be in Belarus only in
September, they appointed a meeting with the tax inspection in Autumn. Only
then the reason for the call will be revealed, says Volha Karach.
It is highly likely that this is connected
with the same enquiry to the Czech Republic.
Ex-presidential candidate Ales Mihalevich, who asked for political asylum in
the Czech Republic, heard nothing about disclosure of information on personal
bank accounts.
Ales Mihalevich: "There was a case with the
organization "Our House", but in concerned the organization's
accounts, not personal ones. I heard nothing about disclosure of personal bank
accounts and I don't want to believe this."
A source in Prague has assured Euroradio
that "the Czech Republic
provided no delicate information about Byalyatski and other activists to the
Belarusian authorities, all the measures aimed at prevention of the situation
similar to that in Poland and Lithuania were taken".
Corresponding state bodies of the Czech Republic conducted meetings to discuss
exclusion of passing information about democratic activists to the Belarusian
authorities several months ago, says Katerina Spacova, CEO of the organization "Civic Belarus".
Katerina Spacova: "I
can assure that the Czech state bodies will not provide the information about
democratic activists' bank accounts to Belarus, as such information can be used
to harass people".
It is expected that the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic will issue a
special statement in this regard today.
