New Life church to pay USD 100,000 of environmental damage

Today, Judge Alena Shylko of Minsk Maskouski Court fined the New Life Protestant church BYR 8,750,000 for allegedly causing damage to environment, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports, quoting the church’s lawyer Siarhei Lukanin. The Church will also have to pay BYR 263,000,000 of environmental damage compensation.
Mr. Lukanin says that the nature protection committee of Minsk city executive committee carried out unauthorized examination of soil on the territory adjacent to the church building, finding high concentration of oil products. As a result, the Committee sued the New Life church, despite the fact that the church building was constructed on a former unauthorized dump site.
The lawyer says the believers are going to appeal the verdict.