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Minsk Economic Court agrees to order release of seized founding papers of organization behind "Tell the Truth!" campaign

The Minsk Economic Court has agreed to order the release of the founding papers of Rukh Naperad (Movement Forward), which were seized last month in a crackdown on the organization's "Tell the Truth!" campaign.

The release of the documents was requested during Thursday's preliminary hearing on the Minsk city government's liquidation suit against Rukh Naperad, its lawyer, Raisa Mikhaylowskaya, told BelaPAN.

"We explained that we couldn't produce the founding papers because they are either in our sealed-off office or at the Leninski district police department," Ms. Mikhaylowskaya said. "The judge accepted our arguments. Now investigators will have to release the papers to the court."

The date of the next hearing has not yet been set.

Rukh Naperad was notified of the liquidation suit on June 3. The organization was accused of providing false data about its legal address.

Dozens of "Tell the Truth" activists had their homes and offices raided by police across Belarus on May 18. Three people, including the campaign's leader, poet Uladzimir Nyaklyayew, were detained for three days after the raids and declared suspects in a criminal case involving a printing company.