The staff of a prominent human rights organization in Minsk is being evicted from its office.
Deputy Chairman of the Vyasna (Spring) Human Rights Center Valyantsin Stefanovich said on November 19 that the unregistered organization had received papers from Belarusian authorities saying that it should vacate its office by November 26.
The center's office is situated in the apartment of Vyasna chairman Ales Byalyatski.
Byalyatski is currently in prison for tax evasion, a charge he has denied since his arrest last year.
Last November, a court in Minsk sentenced him to 4 and 1/2 years in prison and ordered the confiscation of all his property.
The human rights center has been working in Byalyatski's apartment for 12 years.
Stefanovich says Vyasna will continue its operations, even if the organization is evicted.
