Tax inspection terrorizes 73-year-old mother of human rights activist

Tax inspection has engaged in the case of Yadviha Zasulevich, a mother of Aleh Vouchak, the leader of the human rights centre “Legal Assistance to Population.”

The tax inspection of the Central district of Minsk reminded the old lady that, Surubi LLC, which was nonexistent in nature long ago, since June 1, 1995, had not been submitting tax returns.

“The tax inspection of Central district of Minsk informs that the organisation founded by you, Surubi LLC… had not submitted tax returns reflecting its economic activities, since June 1, 1995.” Such a reminder has been sent to Yadviha Zasulevich from the first deputy head of the inspection A. Klyanouskaya. The older woman had been reminded about existence of Surubi with enviable constancy for the last several months.

“In 1995 my colleagues, Afghan war veterans, founded Surubi LLC, they planned to help Afghan war veterans and do their business. They need a purely formal legal address (and I worked at the prosecutor’s office then), and I asked mother to become a founder just pro forma. As I worked at the prosecutor’s office, I warned my friends that they should do everything without me. Mother was not a director, a bookkeeper or auditor. The business was not thriving, so in a while I heard rumours the firm would be closed.

Everything was quiet until recently. In the last two years something strange started. My mother was summoned to the financial investigations department, she wrote explanatory letters, ut there are no documents confirming she was a formal founder. She gave notes of hand. Then they started to attack my mother: “You see how your son has let you down”. But they told: We are going to leave you alone. And the case was stalled.

And since this April statements, letters with the demands to visit them and give reports, bring tax returns, started again. I have an impression that they want to give my mother a fit of hysterics. I remind that 17 years have passed, this organisation did not work long ago. Moreover, in 1999 there was a presidential decree under which responsibility of founders was defined. All terms of limitation on organisation closure are over. Recently a man killed his common-law wife, he was 20, but he was not brought to responsibility, as the case is closed already. And here they are sending letters again, demand reports, intimidate by fines. My mother is 73, and these visits to institutions, nerve-racking do not have a positive influence on her health. And moreover, two years ago she closed this chapter. We would have to write letters, complaints and statements again,” Aleh Vouchak told “Belarusian partisan”.