Administration of Belarusian Exarchate of Russian Orthodox Church Speaks against Review of Law On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Freedom

In addition, according to the press-service of the Belarusian exarchate, the high priests call Orthodox believers to abstain from participation in any campaign concerning this issue.

On 25 April 2007 in Minsk Protestant Church New Life of Association of Full Evangel Christians there took place a press-conference. There was announced about the beginning of the campaign for defense of the right to freedom of conscience within the frames of which it was decided to collect signatures for review of the law On freedom of conscience and religious organizations. The press-service of the Belarusian Exarchate has no relation to this campaign and during the priest of Sent-Intercession parish of Minsk Aliaksandr Shramko, who spoke there, had no church’s blessing to such actions and thus spoke only on his own behalf.

‘The position of Belarusian Orthodox Church concerning the new edition of the law On freedom of conscience and religious organizations remains unchanged: this document fosters the religious peace and confessional stability in Belarus and absorbs the positive universal experience of religious legislation, the practice of the European countries first of all,’ the press-service points.

We should remind that the campaign organizers intend to gather at least 50 000 signatures under the open letter to the president, the Constitutional Court and the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly for review of this law, which has been in action since the end of 2002, with the aim to get the abolishment of groundless restrictions of religious rights.