21.01.2010 New Life Church to pay Br260-million fine

The Natural Resources and Environment Committee obliged the persecuted church to pay the fine within two months.

Syarhei Lukanin, a New Life’s lawyer, told Radio Svaboda the Minsk Natural Resources and Environment Committee offered him to sign a protocol, under which the church must pay a Br260-million fine.

15.01.2010 Criminal Case against Yauhen Volkau under Article 193.1 is dropped

On 30 December the Minsk prosecutor’s office for the second time dropped the criminal proceedings against Yauhen Volkau, instigated at the end of June 2009 under Article 193.1. Volkau was accused of acting on behalf of the Movement of Unity (Mun’s Church).

12.01.2010 Vice-chairman of Supreme Economic Court gives no substantial answer to appeal of Protestant church

On 29 December New Life, a Church of the Religious Association of Communities of Full Evangel Christians, appealed against the verdict of the Supreme Economic Court of 13 January 2009 on dismissing its lawsuit against the Minsk city executive committee. In its appeal, addressed to Vasil Dzemidovich, first vice-chairman of the Supreme Economic Court, the church asked him to appeal against the SEC verdict in its Presidium, and solicited for suspension of implementation of the SEC ruling of 13 January and the ruling of the Economic Court of Minsk of 7 October 2009 on eviction of the church from the building in Kavaliou Street, 72.

04.01.2010 "New Life" Church got fined 263 mln rubles

According to Siarhei Lukanin, lawyer of New Life, Church of Religious Association of Full Gospel Churches in the Republic of Belarus, Minsk city committee of natural resources and environmental protection fined the church 262 798 725 rubles (about $91,887) for environmental pollution under Article 15.11 of the Code of Administrative Violations of the Republic of Belarus.

08.12.2009 College Board of Supreme Economic Court turned down complaint of ‘New Life’ Church

The Supreme Economic Court turned down the complaint of the Protestants against the confiscation of their temple (former cowshed that was reconstructed at their own cost) and a large piece of land by an earlier verdict of the Supreme Economic Court.

23.10.2009 “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.

20.10.2009 Military enlistment office denies alternative service to believers

On October 19 the court of Tsentralny district of Homel continued hearings in the criminal case against a member of Jehovah's Witnesses, Zmitser Smyk.

As noted by “Radio Svaboda”, at the instigation of city military enlistment office, the prosecutor’s office charges Smyk of draft evasion.

On the initiative if judge Ryhor Dzmitrenka who is ion charge of the case of the believer, not only a representative of the military enlistment office Bursevich, but the city’s chief enlistment officer, colonel Vyachaslau Tsatsaryn.

01.10.2009 Pastor of ‘New Life’ Church fined for hindrance to officers of Ministry of Emergency Situations

Maskouski district court of Minsk fined the pastor of the New Life Church Viachaslau Hancharenka 420 000 rubles (about $147) for hindering the officers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations who examined the temple.

28.08.2009 New Life church Protestants to complain at UN about Belarusian authorities

Members of New Life Church continue the all-day pray in their church protesting against persecution by the authorities.

As Radio Svaboda reports, there are no more court instances where the church members could apply to defend their rights.

“We are considering a question on making a complaint to the Human Rights Committee,” the lawyer of the church Syarhei Lukanin says.

The church members held a general meeting and decided not to organize street actions and not to go on hunger strike protesting against the actions by the authorities.

26.08.2009 Politicians and public figures issue statement in support of New Life Church

A number of Belarusian politicians and public figures have issued an open statement to the President’s Administration, the National Assembly, Minsk City authorities and the Council of Ministers demanding to put an end to the harassment of the New Life Church believers, the BelaPAN news agency reports. The letter was signed by writer Uladzimir Arlou, BPF leader Liavon Barshcheuski, painter Aliaksei Marachkin, For Freedom leader Aliaksandr Milinkevich, Young Front Leader Zmitser Dashkevich and others.

25.08.2009 EU ambassadors meet with New Life pastor

On 25 August the French embassy to Minsk hosted a meeting of a number of EU diplomats with representatives of the New Life Protestant church. The meeting initiated by the Swedish ambassador Stefan Ericsson dealt with the possible seizure of the church building. The diplomats said they had received a letter from Minsk city authorities expressing their vision of the issue. According to New Life’s lawyer Siarhei Lukanin, the letter contained false information concerning the amount of compensation offered to the church by the authorities. ‘In fact, the USD 13,000 we were offered would not even pay a construction project. As for the building land, the proposals were too vague to consider,’ says Mr.Lukanin.

24.08.2009 New Life church believers continue opposing building seizure

Members of the New Life Protestant Church keep opposing church building seizure by the city authorities, this time obstructing an inspection by Minsk city emergency situations service, the BelaPAN news agency reports quoting the church’s lawyer Siarhei Lukanin. The eviction notice was served by the city authorities on 22 August after the Supreme Economic Court of Belarus resolved to seize the church building. However, court officers have not yet visited the church.

20.08.2009 Prosecution of Yauhen Volkau stopped

On 20 August Minsk City Prosecutor’s Office has terminated criminal prosecution of Yauhen Volkau, member of the Unification Church Belarusian office accused of illegal membership in the religious organization under Article 193-1 of the Criminal Code. The official letter received by Mr.Volkau says the case has been suspended ‘for lack of corpus delicti.’ The criminal prosecution of Yauhen Volkau was the first case against members of unregistered religious organizations initiated by the Belarusian law enforcement bodies since the notorious Article 193-1 came into effect in 2006.

20.08.2009 Belarusian Evangelical pastors address President with appeal

On 20 August 50 pastors of Belarusian Evangelical churches have addressed President Lukashenka with an open letter, covering several hot issues of human rights violations in the field of religious freedoms. ‘Numerous Evangelical churches, lacking due to various reasons possibilities to construct their own places of worship, have also been deprived of their right to rent such premises. Besides, believers of Evangelical churches have been subjected to humiliating surveillance by the state security bodies, resulting in repeated prosecutions,’ says the letter.

13.08.2009 Protestants refuse to let court marshals in New Life Church

On 13 August, at 9:30 a.m., three officers of court tried to get on the territory of New Life, Minsk-based church of the Union of Full Gospel Churches in Belarus, and hand over a paper. ‘The church members said any officials can’t enter the territory of the church, and they can send the paper by mail. The court officers went away,’ BelaPAN learnt from Siarhei Lukanin, a church lawyer.