Belarus shuts more civil society groups in wide crackdown

Belarusian authorities have announced the closure of 15 nongovernmental organizations as part of the continuing crackdown on civil society activists and independent media

KYIV, Ukraine -- Belarusian authorities on Friday announced the closure of 15 nongovernmental organizations, part of a sweeping crackdown on civil society activists and independent media. The groups ordered to close include the Human Constanta human rights center, the Names charity organization, BelSetka Anti-AIDS group and an organization assisting disabled people. The groups' closure comes a day after authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko vowed to continue what he called a “mopping-up operation” against civil society activists whom he denounced as “bandits and foreign agents.” Human Constanta said in a statement that the authorities didn't explain why they decided to close the group, adding that the action reflects a “growing pressure on civil society in Belarus.”