“New Life” Protestants continue fight for their church building

Minsk-based “New Life” Full Gospel Church challenged in the court of appeal of the Economic Court the ruling of judge Ala Miroshnik to evict the church from its building.

A church lawyer Syarhei Lukanin has told about that to BelaPAN.

In the appeal “total lawlessness” of the court decision is pointed at, as the church community hasn’t received from the state sufficient compensation for the church building, which would be enough for buying a new church. If the decision would be fulfilled, more than 1,000 of believers would stay without a possibility to gather together for prayers and services, which is a violation of human rights, including the right for freedom of conscience, the appeal reads.

As noted by Lukanin, according to the law, the ruling of the court of October 7 won’t take legal force before the court of appeal would deliver its verdict. In case the court of appeal would uphold the ruling of judge Miroshnik, she would issue an order according to which believers would have to leave the building of the church, Lukanin said. As said by him, to fulfil this order, officers of justice would receive a possibility for enforcement actions, including the actions with the help of law-enforcement agencies.

On August 22 city authorities handed in Transfer and Acceptance Act for the church building to the community representatives, but the church members refused to sign it. They started daily prayer vigils in the church since August 24.