06.08.2009 Pressurization of ‘New Life’ church continues

Minsk city authorities have increased pressure on the New Life charismatic church. The European Radio for Belarus has been informed about it by the church lawyer Siarhei Lukanin.

16.07.2009 Head of State Religious Committee supports closure of New Life church

During a special press-conference on 15 July in Minsk, Leanid Huliaka, head of the State Committee for Religious and National Affairs, spoke in favour of the closure of the New Life Protestant Church by Minsk city authorities. According to Mr.Huliaka, the church failed to register at its address at 72 Kavaliova St. ‘It was not reregistered, since its building was not meant for services. The priests turned the building into a church without permission. That is why Minsk authorities cannot register the association at the address,’ said the official.

16.07.2009 Catholic church not to be handed over to believers

The Bernadine Catholic church situated in downtown Minsk will not be transferred to the possession of believers since there are no vacant premises for the state archive, which has been stored in the building for years, BelaPAN reports. According to Leanid Huliaka, State Commissioner for Religious and National Affairs, ‘the administration of the archive do not object to handing over the church, but there are no specially equipped buildings for it in Minsk.’

30.06.2009 Belarusian authorities use Article 193.1 against religious organization

Minsk city prosecutor’s office brought a criminal case under Article 193.1 of the Republic of Belarus against a representative of a religious organization. 25-year-old citizen of Minsk Yauhen Voukau is accused of activities on behalf of the unregistered Movement of Unity (Mun’s Church).

30.06.2009 Babruisk: deportation of missioner from Nigeria

On 23 June the police arrested the preacher Simon Milongo after a service in Slova Nadzei Evangelic Church.

17.06.2009 Protestant believer fined for distributing Bible

Piotr Malanachkin, member of the Belarusian Evangelical Church, has been detained by Horki police as he was distributing the Bible and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He was later fined BYR 175,000 by the administrative commission of Horki Town Executive Committee.

27.05.2009 Amnesty International coordinator met with leader of embattled New Life church

On May 26 a meeting of Amnesty International coordinator on Belarus Lars Bünger with the pastor of Minsk-based charismatic New Life church Vyachaslau Hancharenka (Vyacheslav Goncharenko).

The sides discussed the situation with the congregation. The human rights activist from Switzerland has arrived in Belarus on a three-day visit.

As noted by Vyachaslau Hancharenka, Lars Bünger asked about the details of the recent events around the church and offered its leadership to stay in contact with him constantly.

20.05.2009 Protestant church seized

According to www.charter97.org, Minsk housing department officials have been ordered to seize the building belonging to the New Life Protestant church in uptown Minsk. New Life’s lawyer Siarhei Lukanin says the church members have addressed Minsk city authorities with a letter saying they will not leave the building. According to V.Erafeeu, representative of the city housing department, the officials will have to execute the order anyway, providing no explanations on the possible measures.

12.05.2009 Mahiliou: fine for religious activities

According to information of the BelaPAN, on 11 May the judge of Kastrychnitski district court of Mahiliou Iryna Tsiaplova fined the entrepreneur Liudmila Batsiuk, member of the international organization House on the Rock 140 000 rubles (about $50) for illegal religious activities.

13.03.2009 Cassation Board of the Supreme Economical Court turns down appeal of New Life Church

The lawyer of the church Siarhei Lukanin informed the BelaPAN that on 12 March the Cassation of Board of the Supreme Economical Court chaired by Ruslan Yumahuzhyn did not grant the complaints of Minsk church New Life of the Religious association of Full Evangel Christians in the Republic of Belarus against the verdict of Minsk city economical court.

11.03.2009 Pastor of ‘New Life’ Church disproves information of Belarusian TV

The pastor of Minsk Church New Life, bishop of the religious association of Full Gospel Christians in the Republic of Belarus Viachaslau Hancharenka disproved the information that was publicized on 9 March by the Panorama program of the 1st channel of the Belarusian TV.

09.03.2009 Cassation complaint of ‘New Life’ Church turned down by court

On 5 March the College Board of The Supreme Economical Court of Belarus turned down the cassation complaint of New Life Church against the verdict of the Supreme Economical Court of 13 January 2009.

05.03.2009 Supreme Economical Court turns down suit of ‘Novaye Zhyttsio’ Church

The College Board of the Supreme Economical Court turned down the lawsuit of the Protestant church Novaye Zhyttsio against the verdict of the Supreme Economical Court of 13 January 2009.

18.02.2009 Valiantsin Stefanovich: ‘Criminal prosecution of Belarusian youth is caused by the absence of alternative service’

A 26-year-old resident of the village of Kalinauka (Luban district, Minsk region) Mikhail Mikhalenia is currently serving a term for fine evasion, following a sentence by Luban district court awarded in 2007 for draft evasion. Mikhalenia refused to join the army due to his religious beliefs, since the Belarusian legislation does not provide for an alternative service for Muslims. My family adopted Islam in 2003. We stick to the laws of the Sharia and live according to the holy book of the Koran. Both the villagers and the local authorities know we live a different life style,’ says Ivan Mikhalenia, Mikhail’s father. ‘In 2006 my son was drafted to the army.

23.01.2009 Belarusian Christians demand to respect their rights

As a result of a round table discussion on the freedom of conscience in Belarus, the leading experts adopted a resolution with a demand to liberalize the Belarusian law ‘On the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations’.