Homieĺ priest appeals penalty for worship

The pastor of the Church "Transfiguration" Siarhei Nikalayenka, who had been sentenced to a find of 20 basic units (3.6 mln rubles) by Judge of the Centraĺny District Court of Homieĺ Viktar Kazachok for holding a Sunday service, appealed the fine to the Homieĺ Regional Court.

According to Siarhei Nikalayenka, his appeal has been accepted and will be considered on its merits on July 24.

Human rights activist Leanid Sudalenka, who consults the priest and monitors this administrative case, says that here the State violates the rights of the pastor and parishioners of the Church "Transfiguration" to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. In addition, there are questions with regard to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.

Let us remind that on May 31 a Sunday service, held in an officially rented premises, was raided by riot police with a video camera. They began to shoot all those present, the service was disrupted. The police officers said they allegedly received a phone call from a payphone, telling there was "a crowd holding an unauthorized event". The police asked the believers: "Why do you go to this church and not the normal or correct one?".

Homieĺ Spring