NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS OF BELARUS AS AN INDICATOR OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32689/2523-4625-2024-4(76)-7Keywords:
civil society, non-governmental and non-profit organizations, rights and freedoms, authoritarianism, political pressure, repressive policyAbstract
The article is devoted to the essence and state of development of civil society in Belarus in the context of the activities of non-governmental (NGO) and non-commercial (NСO) organizations, as well as their opposition to the ruling regime. It has been confirmed that such relations and the desire to defend public rights and freedoms are formed under the pressure of the government’s repressive policy. In order to demonstrate/simulate loyalty to civil society, the Belarusian regime authorized the creation of controlled pro-government organizations ‒ GONGOs. It is they who are entrusted with the mission of rebroadcasting the official propaganda of the state, which is designed to ensure the stability not of civil society, but of the ruling regime. It is proven that in order to strengthen social influence, Belarusian NGOs also lack the experience of creating a positive image, which thereby reduces the possibilities of their social and political capacity. It was established that the legislative framework of Belarus does not provide adequate protection of the rights of civil society, but on the contrary has become an additional repressive tool against public activists and human rights defenders. It was found that the Belarusian regime prevents NGOs and NСOs from receiving Western financial support in every possible way, defining them as foreign agents. Moreover, the state has imposed a veto on the functioning of unregistered NGOs and public initiatives, as well as on participation in the work of liquidated public associations, for which criminal prosecution is underway. That is why the number of new NGOs in Belarus has sharply decreased over the past four years, and the persecution of public assets was accompanied by searches, detentions and arrests by the forces of special services and internal bodies. It was determined that the Belarusian authoritarian regime’s attack on civil society intensified during and after the 2020 presidential campaign, which was accompanied by mass protests and detentions of activists. Having won a next (sixth) presidential term due to massive falsifications, O. Lukashenko authorized a repressive attack on the rights and freedoms of human rights, charitable, environmental, educational and religious organizations, which were deprived of state registration, and their leaders were arrested.
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