Christian persecution in Belarus

November 9, 2007 Mixed outcome for Zmitser Dashkevich - Belarus

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for your prayers on behalf of Zmitser Dashkevich, the young democratic activist, who is serving 18 months in prison as a result of his activities in an unregistered democratic youth movement, Young Front, which is based on Christian principles.

A few days ago we asked you to pray for the postponed court hearing which was rescheduled for November 9. As you will recall, Zmitser has been charged with refusing to report the names and activities of his friends and colleagues in Young Front.

This court hearing took place today and was unusually quick. The judge, Tatiana Kashkina, found Zmitser guilty of violating article 402 of the Belarusian Criminal Code relating to the “witness or victim’s denial or deviation to testify”. She imposed a fine equivalent to 412 pounds sterling. The court hearing took place in Shklov prison # 17 where Zmitser is serving his sentence.

Relatives, friends, journalists, politicians and diplomats who came all the way to Shklov to support Zmitser were not allowed to be present at the hearing. However, many of them prayed outside the prison. Only his lawyer and an OSCE representative were permitted in the court room. Prior to the hearing, an OSCE officer sent a letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs asking permission to be present at the court.

Even though there was widespread relief that the full penalty of six months imprisonment was not imposed as feared, Zmitser’s lawyer expressed his discontent with the court decision. He insisted that Zmitser should have received a verdict of not guilty.

In order to pay the penalty, Zmitser’s parents may have had to sell off some personal possessions, but they are confident that local friends will offer financial support to cover the fine.

Please continue to pray

For immediate and unconditional release of Zmitser Dashkevich in light of the new amnesty law;
Pray for his elderly parents to be encouraged in the process;
For his friends to continue to their work in bringing in democratic reforms;
For all who are standing with Zmitser at this difficult time.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

CSW Advocacy Team

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November 7, 2007 Urgent Action - Prayer Update for Zmitser Dashkevic

Dear Friends,

Thank you very much for your continued prayer and action on behalf of young Belarusian Christian, Zmitser Dashkevich, who is serving an 18-month prison sentence because of his pro-democracy work.

Last week we asked you to pray for an imminent court hearing regarding new charges against Zmitser. Zmitser has been charged with refusing to report the names and activities of his friends and colleagues in Young Front. We would like to update you with the latest news about the situation.

The hearing was scheduled for November 6. However, it has now been postponed until November 9. The official reason given, was that the defendant had not been given 5 clear days notice of the hearing, even though Zmitser was informed on November 1.

His father, friends, colleagues from Young Front, democratic activists and an OSCE representative were all present to support Zmitser. However, only his lawyer was allowed in the court room.

The lawyer who saw Zmitser reported that he looked well and was in good spirits. However, Zmitser’s father is concerned he will receive the maximum sentence – a further six months in prison.

Please continue to pray

for justice to prevail in this case;
for the rescheduled hearing on November 9;
for the judge Tatiana Kashkina;
for Zmitser’s parents not to lose faith;
for his friends to continue to their work in bringing in democratic reforms;
for all who are standing with Zmitser at this difficult time.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

CSW Advocacy Team

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November 2, 2007 Urgent Action - Young Christian in Belarus To Face Additional Charges

Dear Friends,

We would like to request your urgent help on behalf of a Belarusian Christian prisoner, who faces further criminal charges on Tuesday, November 6.

Zmitser Dashkevich, a 26-year old university student and youth democracy activist, was jailed for 18 months on November 1, 2006 as a result of his participation in a youth pro-reform movement, “Young Front,” founded on Christian principles. Zmitser (whose name can be translated as Dimitri) was accused of “organising or participating in the activity of an unregistered non-governmental organization.”

Belarus is often called the “last dictatorship in Europe.” Human rights are regularly violated under the oppressive regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994. Religious liberty violations are a common occurrence, and the regime has cracked down on human rights and democracy activists, a group which includes many Christians.

Zmitser, one of these activists, has been co-leader of the Young Front movement since 2003. He was the recipient of a human rights award from the Charter 97 Initiative, a Belarusian human rights coalition, in 2006. He is considered by Amnesty International to be a prisoner of conscience.

On November 6, Zmitser will face new charges which could potentially lead to an additional six months in prison. He has been charged with refusing to report the names and activities of his friends and colleagues in Young Front. However, these charges can be argued to contradict Article 27 of the Belarusian Constitution which states that no one shall be forced to give testimony and explanations against himself, members of his family, or near relations. Judge Tatiana Kashkina will examine Zmitser’s case.

This new process started on August 14 but only became known to the public in mid-September. On October 9 his lawyer appealed the decision. However on October 19 the appeal was denied and the case was sent to the court for further investigation.

Zmitser is not alone in prison. Many other Young Front activists have faced the same charges on different occasions and have been given fines and or sentenced to short-term imprisonment.

Zmitser’s elderly parents are indignant about the latest charges against their son and have also pointed out that these charges are unconstitutional.

Zmitser’s friends and family have been looking forward to his release, scheduled for March 15, 2008, and hope that new charges will not lead to a prolongation of his sentence.

As a mark of solidarity with Zmitser Dashkevich, we would like to ask you to send letters to the Belarusian authorities in Minsk and/or to the Belarusian embassy in your country. The address and details for the Ambassador to the US is given below.

In your letter, please express your concern at the charges against Zmitser and urge them to release him, as provided for under new amnesty legislation. Please also ask that the authorities allow him to continue his peaceful activity within the Young Front movement.

We would also ask that you join us in prayer for Zmitser, his friends facing similar charges and his parents during this difficult time.

President Lukashenko
Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus
ul. K.Marksa, 38
220016, Minsk,
Belarus

Press service of the President of the Republic of Belarus
Fax +375 17 222 30 20

His Excellency Mikhail Khvostov
Ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to the US
1619 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20009

Fax: (202) 986-1805

Thank you,
CSW Advocacy Team

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June 15, 2007 Update and Prayer for Lukasik and Bokun

Dear Friends,

We would like to express our gratitude for your letters and prayers on behalf of Jaroslaw Lukasik. Sadly, on 6 June 2007, Jaroslaw was deported from Belarus back to Poland. More than 100 people came to the train station to say goodbye to him. The group included Bishop Sergey Khomich of the Pentecostal Union, who cut short a visit to Switzerland to attend.

Jaroslaw’s wife and three children are still inside Belarus. A court hearing will be taking place today. His family hope to see the deportation decision rescinded, and his right to continue his work in Belarus upheld, as the authorities’ decision to deport Jaroslaw contradicts the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Articles 18, 19, 20 and 21, all of which guarantee individuals their rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion as well as freedom of expression, association and assembly.

We take much encouragement from the way that Jaroslaw’s situation inspired the Belarusian Christian community to mobilise and act on his behalf. On 3 June 2007, a prayer rally was organized in Grace Church, the biggest protestant church in Belarus. Five thousand Christians from different parts of the country participated and 60 pastors led the prayers.

During the prayer rally, four bishops representing the main protestant denominations (Baptist, Pentecostal, Full Gospel, and Adventist) signed an open appeal to the Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko. In the appeal they emphasised the fact that the situation in the country is completely intolerable for evangelical Christians, particularly as a number of officially registered communities are prevented from legally renting facilities for their activities. The appeal asked for the law “on freedom of conscience and religious organisations,” to be revised and brought into line with the Belarusian Constitution and international law.

Pastor Bokun
Unfortunately, on the same morning that the prayer rally took place, Antony Bokun, the pastor of John the Baptist Church (the same church that Jaroslaw attends), was detained by Belarusian police during the service. It was his second detention (the first occurred on 27 May). This time he was sentenced to three days imprisonment for holding an unsanctioned meeting.

According to the information centre, Evangelic Belarus, while in jail, Pastor Bokun suffered from symptoms of high blood pressure. On the day of the court session, he spent six hours locked up in a police car, which was left parked near the court building in full sunlight. This further aggravated his symptoms.
Pastor Bokun is the third person to receive a prison sentence for religious activity in post-Soviet Belarus. He has appealed the court decision.

Please Pray!
The authorities’ treatment of Pastor Bokun has led to a call for the first national inter-denominational three-day campaign of prayer and fasting on 15,16 and 17 June. We would like to invite you to join with them in praying for the freedom to preach the gospel and for reforms to the 2002 religious legislation to bring it into accordance with the Belarusian Constitution. They also asked for prayers of forgiveness and for blessings for the country.

In the light of the current events taking place in Belarus, we would also like to ask you to continue to pray for the following:
    • Please lift up Jaroslaw and his family, now separated from each other; pray for his future activities in connection with Belarus and for his return to the country.
    • Pray for Antony Bokun, specifically for his health. Please also lift up his family in your prayers as his wife is pregnant with their third child. Please also pray for     members of his church. The authorities have expressed their intention to visit the church every Sunday.
    • Ask God to continue to strengthen Christians inside Belarus to stand together and resist the injustice perpetrated against believers

Thank you for your continued prayers for Belarus.

God bless,

CSW Advocacy Team

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June 1, 2007 Belarusian Christians to protest following police raid on church service

Christians from across Belarus will gather together in Minsk on Sunday 3 June 2007 to protest against continuing violations of religious freedom, including the detention of two Christians during a police raid on a church service on 27 May 2007. One of the Christians detained is a Polish citizen and faces imminent deportation.

Police and KGB officials, raided a private house in Minsk rented by the ‘John the Baptist’ church during a Pentecost service. The pastor of the church Antony Bokun and Polish citizen, Jaroslaw Lukasik were both detained. Pastor Bokun was accused of “organising and holding religious meetings without special approval”. He was held overnight and fined. Lukasik was also accused of illegal involvement in the service, but He was released a few hours later after a visit by Polish diplomats.

Lukasik was subsequently fined and ordered to leave Belarus by 7 June. He will be banned from re-entering the country for the next 5 years, even though he has lived there since 1999 and his wife and children are Belarusian nationals. A Citizenship and Migration Department official told the news agency, Forum 18, that Lukasik's deportation was the result of “repeated violations of the regime governing the presence of foreigners on the territory of Belarus". However, Belarusian Christians believe that he has been targeted because of his religious activities.

In a public appeal to the Citizenship and Migration Department for Interior Affairs and to the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko, more than 40 religious leaders requested that the deportation order be rescinded.

In an open statement to Minsk City Police Department on 29 May, Sergei Khomich, the bishop of the Pentecostal Union, emphasised that the police raid and subsequent detentions indicate the need for legislation on religious activities to be revised.

The rally on Sunday has been organised by evangelical Christians and will take place in the largest Protestant church in the capital city, ‘Grace Church’. In addition to an appeal on Lukasik’s behalf, participants at Sunday’s meetings will also be calling for increased religious freedom, including the right for registered religious organisations to hold meetings in residential premises and the right to register certain buildings as designated for religious activity. During the meeting, the group also plans to adopt and publish an open statement to President Lukashenko.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s National Director, Stuart Windsor, said: “We are deeply concerned by the recent events in Belarus and fully support the Belarusian churches in their demand that their government respects religious liberty and ceases its harassment of church leaders and worshippers. We call on the international community and on the European Union, in particular, to strongly discourage the Belarusian authorities from deporting Mr. Lukasik, and to condemn the recent church raids and arrests.”

Notes to Editors:

1. A nationwide petition is currently being circulated in Belarus, calling for a review of the current law on religious activities which was adopted in 2002. More than 16,000 people have signed the petition so far. The petition states that the signatories believe the laws limit their freedom of worship and expression.

2. The law contravenes international principles of religious freedom and human rights, including those laid out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Belarus is party.

3. On 8 May 2007, Mr. Lukasik’s permanent residence permit was annulled because of what government officials called "activities aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of inter-confessional relations”. An international campaign is underway to prevent his deportation and the Protestant leaders in Belarus have expressed their hope that "the principle of the presumption of innocence will continue to be the foundation of Belarusian legal norms, and the accusations against Jaroslaw Lukasik will remain groundless in the absence of a court ruling."

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May 30, 2007 Urgent Action - Belarus 5/30

Dear Friends,

We like to request your urgent help on behalf of a Belarusian Christian, who faces deportation from the country on June 7th. Jaroslaw Lukasik is a pastor and is a member of the Union of Evangelical Faith Christians. Although he is originally Polish, he has lived in the country since 1999 along with his Belarusian wife and three children, all of whom hold Belarusian nationality. On May 8th, the police annulled his residence permit for what they called "activities aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of inter-confessional relations."

According to Mr. Lukasik, the police cancelled his residence permit following a report by the Committee for State Security (KGB) that he "conducted illegal religious activities in Protestant communities, took part in activities of radically inclined, politicised groups and resided in an area other than his officially registered place of residence."

On May 16th the Belarus Evangelical Information Centre published an appeal to the state authorities in Lukasik's defence, signed by the main Protestant leaders from different denominations. They describe Lukasik as "a Christian active in the life of evangelical churches (..) a person of high moral qualities (..) a bearer of Christian values who conducts educational work in the spheres of history and culture." The Protestant leaders also express their hope that "the principle of presumption of innocence will continue to be the foundation of Belarusian legal norms, and the accusations against Jaroslaw Lukasik will remain groundless in the absence of a court ruling".

Last Sunday, May 27th, Mr. Lukasik was arrested following a religious service. He was released the same day after the Polish consul visited the police station. "I believe that my detention resulted from authorities` anger over the scandal brought about by my expulsion from the country and the publication of my interviews in the press," he said. Although he did not preach at the service, he faces administrative charges on accusations of conducting unauthorised religious activity as a foreign citizen and hence violating laws on the presence of foreign citizens in Belarus. Lukasik is due to go before an administrative commission this coming Wednesday (30 May). He faces a fine of up to 20 times the minimum wage or immediate deportation.

As a mark of solidarity with Mr. Lukasik and his family, we would like to ask you to contact and/or send letters to Belarussian authorities in Minsk or at the Belarussian embassy in your city. In your letter, please ask them to rescind the order for deportation, to allow him to continue his ministry along with his family in Belarus, and to ensure that religious freedom is respected, according to the terms of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Belarus is party.

We also would appreciate your prayers for him and his family during this difficult time. The letter from his 7-year old son, Jan, may help you as you pray:

My name is Jan; I am a pupil of the 1st form. I am 7 years old. I like Belarus and I want to live here together with all of my family. My brother Martin and my sister Mirka want to study at the school where I study now. I ask God to make it possible for my Daddy and us to stay in Belarus.
Allow our Daddy to stay here.
Jan Lukasik.

Send your letters to:

President Lukashenko
Administration of the President of the Republic of Belarus
ul. K.Marksa, 38
220016, Minsk,

Press service of the president of the republic of Belarus
FAX +375 17 222 30 20

H.E. Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV
1619 New Hampshire Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20009

Fax: (202) 986-1805

Thank you and God bless,

CSW Advocacy Team

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March 16, 2007 Urgent Action - Prayer update on New Life Church, Belarus

February 28, 2007 Reports that U.S. citizens deported for religious activity "a misunderstanding"

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=922
Illegal religious activity is not the reason why a group of US English-language teachers were deported from Belarus earlier this month, Forum 18 News Service has been told. According to recent media reports, unauthorized religious activity led to one of two police warnings that formed the grounds for their deportation. An Interior Ministry spokesman even told one news agency that students were found singing religious songs and with Bibles on their desks when police raided what was supposedly a seminar in conversational English at a Baptist church in Mogilev. The region's religious affairs official, however, has told Forum 18 that the Americans did not violate the 2002 Religion Law. The head of the charity which invited the group also insisted to Forum 18 that its activity was not religious and that teaching took place at the church simply because there was no rental fee. Elsewhere in Mogilev region, an Israeli rabbi is trying to overturn the state's decision not to renew his religious work permit.

Catholics in Belarus have halted a hunger-strike, after receiving endorsement for church construction from the Grodno city administration, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Parish priest Fr Aleksandr Shemet stressed to Forum 18 that the Church has not received permission to build, but permission to "gather documents" and "ask for final permission from the President." Parishioners are praying for all Belarusian churches without a building - including Minsk's New Life charismatic Church - and for the 12 Polish Catholic priests and nuns refused permission to work in Belarus after 31 December 2006. "We want not only the Catholic Church, but all Christians to be able to practise their religion freely," Fr Shemet remarks. "So we will pray that believers are not afraid to demand their rights." The 12 priests and nuns have been denied permission to continue working in Belarus, despite appeals from 12,000 people including Catholic bishops. New Life Church is supporting the Catholics of Grodno and praying for a forthcoming court session, on whether moves to terminate New Life's land rights and force the sale of its building are lawful.

Belarusian authorities may be preparing to reverse their position towards New Life Church in the capital Minsk, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. A senior state official has stated that President Aleksandr Lukashenko was aware of New Life's situation, regarding them as "a normal church in need of assistance." The official then made a "strong recommendation" to New Life's Pastor, Vyacheslav Goncharenko, that the church try another appeal to the Higher Economic Court. New Life has now done this, but the church's lawyer, Sergei Lukanin, stressed to Forum 18 that the congregation will continue public protests until it has the legal return of its land and building and the right to worship there. Previous state promises to resolve the situation have been broken. New Life's high-profile public protests over the past fortnight - including hunger strikes throughout Belarus, daily services, and international support - appear to be responsible for the president's sudden attention. New Life has been fined for meeting, as have other churches in Belarus - such as a Baptist church in Minsk, which was fined this month.

While tight restrictions on the religious freedom of foreigners who live in Belarus were enshrined in the restrictive 2002 Religion Law, foreign religious workers invited by local religious communities are increasingly being barred from the country, Forum 18 News Service has learned. The State Committee for Religious Affairs - which has to approve all such invitations and agree that such visits are "necessary" - denied the charismatic Full Gospel Union permission to invite Nigerian pastor Anselm Madubuko to preach in three of its churches in August. One church had "no basis" for inviting him as it was not registered, while the visit to another was "inexpedient", officials declared. US citizen Stewart Vinograd - pastor of a Minsk-based Messianic Jewish congregation he founded ten years ago - did not have his annual religious work permit renewed in late spring, while twelve Polish Catholic priests and nuns have been told their visas will not be renewed at the end of this year. The Hare Krishna community is among those unable to invite foreign citizens as they do not have the required ten registered religious communities.

Christians in Belarus are bracing themselves for the consequences of their decision to peacefully resist government attempts to take over the premises of the New Life Church in the capital city, Minsk. The government has informed them that as of October 8th the property should be turned over to the authorities.

According to sources inside Belarus, the Church has been told that the government is “forcibly purchasing” the church building and the land on which it stands. The authorities claimed that they transferred payment for the building into the Church bank account on September 29th and that the congregation would have ten days from that date to turn the property over to the government.

An appeal from Belarus calling for international support states that, “New Life Church will not give up its building voluntarily, which means that by gathering all its human resources New Life’s Christians will stand for their rights alongside with other Belarusian Christians from other churches and stay inside the building day and night, if such need arises…”

The New Life Church, which has a membership of over 1000, has been the target of repeated government fines and attempts to shut it down. The Church bought the building in 2001 and has repeatedly applied to use it for religious purposes. However the authorities have refused this authorization – a difficulty faced by many non-orthodox religious groups when applying to use a building for religious purposes. The building continues to appear on city plans as authorized only for use as a “cow shed,” although it is illegal to keep cattle within city limits.

According to Forum 18 news service, the Belarusian authorities gave differing accounts of why the land was being forcibly bought by the government when they were questioned. Some pointed to its official designation as a cow shed while others said that it had not been “envisaged” in a new City Development plan.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s National Director, Stuart Windsor, says “We are deeply concerned by this development. The Belarusian government must comply with its international obligations on religious freedom, particularly under terms of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which it is a party. In this particular case we call on the Belarusian authorities to reverse this decision and to grant the New Life Church official permission to exist and operate as a church. CSW will continue to monitor the situation closely; the New Life Church can be assured of our support and solidarity.”

Notes to Editors

Belarus has repeatedly been designated the worst violator of religious freedom in Europe.
Non-orthodox churches have consistently reported similar treatment to that experienced by the New Life Church.
Earlier this year, two Christian leaders were arrested and sentenced to 10 day prison sentences in separate cases.
Information on the New Life Church can be found here.

The authorities in Belarus' capital Minsk think they are already legally entitled to take the building used for worship by New Life Church, Forum 18 News Service has discovered. Officials have confirmed to Forum 18 that Minsk city has transferred money for New Life's building into the church's bank account, despite New Life's strong opposition. The church continues to oppose state attempts to take its building, and insists that the price offered is 35 times lower than the building's true value. Aleksandr Kazyatnikov of Minsk Territorial State Property Fund thinks that New Life had until Thursday 5 October to get out of their building. "Their time has run out," he told Forum 18. Church lawyer Sergei Lukanin thinks that Monday 9 October is when the authorities could begin to try to take the building. However, Nina Gordeyuk of Minsk city's Moscow District Administration thinks that the payment process is not complete. Once complete, she said, officials will meet with New Life's Pastor and the head of the state concern due to receive the building "to discuss the matter further." She was unable to say when this will be.

Catholic priest Fr Antoni Kochko has not been charged for serving Mass without state permission in the Belarusian capital Minsk, despite a court appearance, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Fr Antoni could have faced deportation - the punishment for repeat violations or one "crude violation" of a state decree on the activity of foreign religious workers. Fr Antoni was, after saying Mass in a Minsk parish where he does not normally work, approached by a man and woman in plain clothes. They accused him of breaking the law and escorted him to a court. One Belarusian Catholic commented that the pair "are always sitting in our church. You can't fail to spot them." Another priest told Forum 18 that the authorities did check whether priests were serving only at state-approved locations. After just such a check-up, he himself had been recently fined, but he pointed out to Forum 18 that this could be regarded as support - "we know from the Bible that if this is happening you're doing the right thing" - and as a source of income for the law enforcement agencies, "they have to get it from somewhere."

"No reasons whatsoever" have been given for the state's decision to refuse annual visa renewal for 12 Polish Catholic priests and nuns in the north-western region of Grodno [Hrodna], the Dean of Grodno's Catholic Cathedral has told Forum 18 News Service. Speaking on 3 October, Fr Yan Kuchynski said that the 7 priests and 5 nuns have been working in different parishes of Grodno diocese - whose territory corresponds with Grodno region and borders Poland - for approximately ten years, but have been ordered to leave Belarus by 2007.

"This is the first time so many have been refused permission to renew their visas," he told Forum 18, adding that nothing of the kind has happened in the three other Catholic dioceses in Belarus. Reached on what appeared to be a clear telephone line on 2 October, Grodno region's main religious affairs official initially confirmed his name and patronymic but then claimed not to be able to hear Forum 18's questions. Igor Popov's telephone went unanswered when Forum 18 rang back immediately and on 3 October.

Aleksandr Kalinov of the State Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs in Minsk maintained to Radio Free Europe that Grodno's Catholic bishop, Aleksandr Kaszkiewicz, could turn to his own "rather successful" seminary for priests, and insisted that "sufficient argumentation, foundation" is necessary in order for a foreign priest to come to Belarus: "Are they being invited because there are not enough priests?" Bishop Aleksander Kaszkiewicz, on 26 September, appealed to the faithful of the Diocese to say the rosary and parish prayers throughout October for "law-abiding priests and nuns who have not received permission from the Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs in Minsk to continue their religious activity from 1 January 2007," according to Grodno Catholic Cathedral's website <http://www.katedra.grodnensis.by>.

Catholics in Grodno region have begun to gather signatures for a petition in support of the Polish priests and nuns, according to the Radio Free Europe Belarusian service. Bishop Kaszkiewicz is also Chairman of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops in Belarus. Religious affairs officials refused to comment specifically on the 12 expulsions to the Belarusian service of Radio Free Europe on 2 October. Pointing out that 66 foreign Catholic religious workers remained in Grodno region, an unnamed local religious affairs official remarked that "dioceses are continually being recommended to attract priests from among those Belarusian citizens who are seminary graduates, particularly as the law requires foreign workers to be competent in both state languages [Russian and Belarusian]."

All of the Polish priests and nuns slated to leave the country understand the Belarusian language and are comfortable speaking it, Fr Yan Kuchynski told Radio Free Europe's Belarusian service. He also pointed out that a number of the priests work alone in their parishes: "If we don't have enough priests, where are we supposed to get them from? The best option is these priests from Poland, as it is easier for them to understand the faithful than for priests from Italy. That's why we invite Poles."

A Council of Ministers decree, dated 23 February 1999, controls the activity of foreign religious workers in Belarus. Should the State Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs grant a religious community permission to invite a foreign religious worker for up to one year, the decree states, he or she may conduct religious activity only within houses of worship belonging to or premises continually rented by that community. The transfer of a foreign religious worker from one religious organization to another - such as between parishes - requires permission from the relevant state official dealing with religious affairs, even for a single service. Asked whether the recent prosecution in Minsk of a foreign Catholic priest who celebrated Mass without state permission was exceptional (see F18News 2 October 2006 <http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=849>), a local Catholic priest who wished to remain unnamed told Forum 18 on 26 September that similar prosecutions "often happen" in Grodno region. He qualified this to "several incidents", however, and added that he did not have any statistics.

Contacted on 2 October, the priest said that he was unaware of the 12 priests and nuns denied permission to continue their work in Grodno region. While territorially smaller than each of the other three Catholic dioceses in Belarus, Grodno diocese has approximately twice as many parishes, putting it on a par with the Belarusian Orthodox Church in that region. According to 2005 state figures, there were 170 Catholic parishes in Grodno region supported by 168 clergy, of whom 72 were foreign citizens. Of the 350 or so Catholic priests in Belarus, more than half are foreign citizens. Two did not have their annual visas renewed at the end of 2005, and were thus forced to return to their native Poland.

New Life Church in Belarus' capital Minsk could lose its worship premises as early as mid-August, the charismatic church's lawyer, Sergei Lukanin, has told Forum 18 News Service. Minsk City Economic Court has ruled that New Life must sell - at a low price - the disused cowshed it worships in, following official insistence that the city Development Plan requires that the building be demolished. No new evidence for this claim was presented at the most recent hearing, which Forum 18 attended, one official eventually agreeing that the church "could be sited anywhere in the city." Minsk's main religious affairs official, Alla Ryabitseva, has previously told Forum 18 that the Development Plan was the reason why New Life was not given permission to convert the building into a church. Because it does not have state-approved worship premises, New Life was not given the compulsory re-registration demanded by the Religion Law, which bans all unregistered religious activity - against international human rights standards. The church could therefore be liquidated under the Religion Law.

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=798

A Jewish kindergarten music teacher in Belarus, who celebrated the traditionally joyful Jewish holiday of Purim with Jewish children, has been threatened with criminal prosecution, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Lyudmila Izakson-Bolotovskaya is accused of "illegal and deliberate dissemination of religious dogma to young children, which could cause considerable harm to their world view, rights and legal interests." Public prosecutor Sergei Kopytov refused to talk to Forum 18 about his threat - one of several recent attempts, known to Forum 18, to restrict all religious activity to existing state approved places of worship. Minsk City Court has liquidated the Christ's Covenant Reformed Baptist Church, thus making it illegal. Earlier, its pastor, Georgi Vyazovsky, was jailed for ten days for leading worship in his home. The charismatic New Life Church in Minsk has been visited again by police, demanding confirmation of state permission to hold worship services. Also, three evangelical Christians were given official warnings for silently reading the Bible on Brest's central square, as an expression of solidarity with those arrested after March's presidential elections.

A network of Christians in Europe has issued a statement expressing grave concern at the recent arrest and imprisonment of two Christian leaders in Belarus in separate cases during March 2006.

The European Religious Liberty Forum, made up of lawyers, journalists and human rights activists from across Europe, recently met together to discuss the situation in Belarus. Top of the agenda in the forum, which includes Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), was the arrests and sentencing to 10 days imprisonment of Pastor Georgi Vladimirovich Vyazovsky and of Sergey Shavtsov, a human rights lawyer, in separate cases in Minsk, Belarus in March 2006.

The Forum acknowledged that the arrests occurred as a result of existing legislation in Belarus, particularly specific clauses in the law On Freedom of Conscience and the Religious Organizations passed in 2002. The statement notes, “This legislation restricts the right to free expression of religious convictions and the holding of religious ceremonies and is in breach of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Belarus became a party in 1992.”

Pastor Vyazovsky was charged with holding regular religious meetings in his private home without permission from the local authorities. However, no public orders had been violated and no complaints were received. Local officials arrived unannounced to one such gathering, which had attracted about 30 people.

Sergey Shavtsov, a human rights lawyer, was arrested on March 24, 2006, and jailed for organizing a religious event, an interdenominational conference, without government permission. On the last day of the conference three policemen and one KGB officer broke into the conference because, according to them, the event was an offense under Belarusian legislation.

After locking the group inside the conference hall for an hour, the police took two of the pastors present to the police station. Mr. Shavtsov decided to take responsibility for the organization and was promptly taken to an administrative court where, after 20 minutes he was sentenced to ten days detention in one of the state prisons in Minsk. Mr. Shavtsov, who has for several years been handling many cases concerning freedom of speech and religious freedom, was brought to the prison directly from the court room.

The constitution of Belarus clearly enshrines religious freedom and, in addition, acknowledges the precedence of international law. Yet Article 25 of the 2002 legislation clearly violates basic tenets of religious freedom in restricting the right to meet privately for worship.

Tina Lambert, Advocacy Director for CSW-UK adds, “This statement expresses our solidarity with the citizens of Belarus whose rights have been violated. The cases of Pastor Vyazovsky and Mr. Shavtsov clearly demonstrate that religious freedom is restricted in Belarus in patent violation of its own constitution and international standards. CSW, with the other members of the European Religious Liberty Forum, appeals to the Government of Belarus to redress this serious situation.”

Courtesy of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

November 13, 2002 Commissioner Shea to Address Religious Freedom at Belarus Conference

WASHINGTON - Nina Shea, Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent federal agency advising the Administration and Congress, will speak tomorrow about religious freedom at a conference on Belarus titled "Axis of Evil: Belarus - the Missing Link." The conference, with a keynote speech by Senator John McCain, is being held by the New Atlantic Initiative at the American Enterprise Institute.

WHAT: Conference, "Axis of Evil: Belarus - the Missing Link."

WHEN: Thursday, November 14, 2002, 8:45 a.m.

WHERE: American Enterprise Institute, 1150 17th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Wohlstetter Conference Center, 12th Floor.

Members of the media interested in covering this event must register. You can do so by registering online at http://www.aei.org/inv021114.htm, by E-mail at vrodman@aei.org, or by calling Veronique Rodman at 202-862-4871.