Forum 18, a major rights group investigating the situation, told BosNewsLife that, "officials have tried to stop" Protestants in the country’s north-western Grodno Region, "from conducting peaceful religious activities." It said that in the small town of Svisloch, a planned open-air baptism was banned, “despite the attempts of Pentecostal [Christians] to negotiate with authorities."
In a statement released by Forum 18 News Service Protestant Bishop Fyodor Tsvor said "they just don’t want to allow it." In the nearby town of Mosty, a Pentecostal pastor was fined nine months’ minimum wages for leading a small unregistered church, Forum 18 said.
"The court verdict notes as evidence of wrongdoing that "at meetings they read the Gospel, discuss questions of religious faith, sing songs and conduct religious rites."
BAPTIST PASTOR
Meanwhile Grodno itself, Baptist pastor Yuri Kravchuk was summoned by the senior state regional religious affairs official, Igor Popov, who told him that his leadership of a worship service in a private home violated the Administrative Code.
His case has reportedly been sent to the city’s Oktyabr District Court. However, "all three communities point out that the state’s actions violate the Belarusian Constitution," Forum 18 added.
It comes amid international concern about reported violations of religious and political rights in the country, which the United States has described as "Europe’s last dictatorship." The Belarus government has denied human rights abuses.
