Jehovah's Witnesses News

For Immediate Release
June 21, 2010

GOMEL, Belarus—Dmitri Smyk wanted to exercise his constitutional right to choose civilian service instead of military service. While this young citizen of Belarus had previously been found guilty of having broken the law and was heavily fined, the Court of Tsentralniy District of Gomel considered the case at length and on May 31, 2010, found him innocent. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 7%

For Immediate Release
June 15, 2010

KRICHEV, Belarus—On a Saturday afternoon in the Mogilev district, six Jehovah’s Witnesses were at the home of a 75-year-old friend and fellow believer. They had gathered there to visit and to discuss thoughts from the Bible. But they didn’t know that on this day they had already been targeted for a search and seizure. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 8%

By Geraldine Fagan, Forum 18 News Service

The head of the Belarusian capital Minsk’s City Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Committee has denied to Forum 18 News Service that his action against the New Life Full Gospel Church is politically motivated. “I’m depoliticised,” Aleksandr Borovikov insisted of his attempt to prosecute the church for alleged oil pollution, “I’m not part of any campaign against the church.” Church members think the massive, disputed fine imposed on the church for environmental damage is part of the long-running state campaign against them. While concerned that grass being grown for a children’s playground at the church might also cause environmental damage, Borovikov seemed unfazed when Forum 18 raised concerns about accumulated rubbish – including rotting vehicles and old washing machines – dumped within 500 metres of the church. Meanwhile, Pastor Vladimir Kochegur of New Life’s sister church in Novogrudok has insisted that the fine imposed on him for religious activity at home was unjustified. “They claim I held a worship service late at night on 16 March, but there was no such meeting,” he told Forum 18. In Brest Region, police and ideology officials have similarly moved against a Baptist street library for operating without state permission. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 6%

Dzmitry Smyk after his acquittal

The central court in the Belarusian city of Homel has acquitted a Jehovah’s Witness who had been charged with avoiding mandatory military service, RFE/RL’s Belarus Service reports.

Dzmitry Smyk said that his belief did not allow him to bear arms. Judge Alena Tsalkova ruled that “Smyk’s actions do not constitute a crime.”

Smyk told RFE/RL after he left the courtroom a free man that he felt happy that justice had prevailed. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 5%

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service

After a 21 February raid on his church’s Sunday worship service by the KGB, police and local officials, Pastor Yuri Petrevich was twice fined a total of more than a month’s average wages in March to punish him for leading his unregistered church in Grodno in western Belarus, as he told Forum 18 News Service. The first fine – for unregistered religious activity – came despite the abolition of such an “offence” in the Administrative Violations Code. A Jehovah’s Witness in Mogilev Region had his case dropped after the change, and books confiscated in a raid were returned. “At first glance it seems that the removal of these ‘offences’ is a positive move,” religious freedom lawyer Dina Shavtsova told Forum 18. “But unfortunately, this change to the Administrative Violations Code doesn’t resolve the problem of the legal restrictions on the right to freedom of religion and belief.” She fears the authorities might instead bring cases under the Criminal Code, where penalties for unregistered religious activity remain. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 10%