Charter 97

Charter 97 is a declaration calling for democracy in Belarus and a human rights group taking its inspiration from the declaration.

The document - whose title deliberately echoes the Czechoslovak human rights declaration Charter 77 twenty years earlier - was created on the anniversary of a referendum held in 1996, and which, in the words of the organisation of the same name, declares:

"devotion to the principles of independence, freedom and democracy, respect to the human rights, solidarity with everybody, who stands for elimination of dictatorial regime and restoration of democracy in Belarus."

Charter 97, as a citizens' human rights organisation based around the principles outlined in this document, is a non-partisan organisation which has organised protest rallies and has provided a springboard for other democratic movements in the country. It also maintains a website of news with a focus on human rights developments.

On September 3, 2010, the body of the founder of Charter 97, Oleg Bebenin, was found in his house near Minsk. According to initial statements by the Belarusian government, Bebenin committed suicide by hanging himself. However, friends of Bebenin have rejected this, stating that there was no indication Bebenin was planning to commit suicide, and that there were no messages or notes left behind.

See also

• Belarusian democracy movement
• Charter 08

External links

• Charter 97 website
• Belarus Now article about the movement