According to the decision of the Supreme Court, BAJ representative "misunderstood the law", and all their arguments as to no legal grounds to sustain the liquidation claim should be considered unimportant.
Here is a short timeline of BAJ liquidation:
On 9 June, the Ministry of Justice started a large-scale inspection of BAJ.
On 14 July, law enforcers conducted another search in the office of BAJ in the absence of representatives of the organization, the office was then sealed and access to it was blocked. BAJ was not given copies of the search reports. We do not know what assets had been seized. Also that day, operations on the organization's bank account were frozen.
On 15 July, the day after the search and sealing of the office, the association received a copy of the order with a written warning from the Ministry of Justice.
On 21 July, the Ministry of Justice announced on its social media that it had already filed a claim with the Supreme Court of Belarus to liquidate the Belarusian Association of Journalists.
"BAJ is not a simple entry in the register of legal entities. It's almost 1500 members of the organization, united by the awareness of their mission: to expand the space of freedom of speech in Belarus. Sorry for the pathos and a quote from the BAJ Strategy.
These are friends and colleagues. It's about US, not the legal status and office. And WE will continue to do our work regardless of the decisions of courts and administrative bodies, by all legal means," said BAJ chairman Andrei Bastunets.
BAJ operates since the fall of 1995. It unites more than 1,300 media workers. BAJ is an influential organization recognized by the international professional community.