BELARUS ATTACKS RELIGION

Tuesday, September 2, 2003

MAJOR POLICY GROUP SAYS BELARUS ATTACKS RELIGION

Baptism services and religious groups under threat with new law

By Stefan J. Bos
Eastern Europe Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

MINSK/BUDAPEST  (ANS) -- The Washington D.C.-based Institute on Religion and Public Policy (IRPP) has condemned a new law in Belarus that threatens to liquidate religious groups if authorities judge them harmful to society.

In a statement to ASSIST News Service Tuesday, September 2, the policy pressure organization said the 'law on demonstrations and public events' increases the suffering of believers in Belarus, one of the most oppressive republics of the former Soviet Union.

"The regime of President (Aleksandr) Lukashenko has already set in place the most egregious and restrictive religion law in Europe and Eurasia," said IRPP President Joseph K. Grieboski.

"This new law adds insult to the injury of religious believers in Belarus and yet again unquestionably establishes the Lukashenko regime as the most repressive and totalitarian system in Europe and Eurasia," he added.

REMOVED EXEMPTIONS

President Lukashenko reportedly removed exemptions for religious events from the text of the new law, which came into force August 29 following approval by both houses of parliament in June.

Human rights watchers said the new law formalizes "the web of controls that already exist over public religious events" and adds a new twist as it allows religious groups to be liquidated if a meeting causes any harm to the "public interest."

The IRPP stressed that even "disruption to public transport" is seen as harmful by the authorities. Human rights groups and church officials fear that especially active Protestant Christians could suffer under the new measures.

BAPTISM BANNED

Pentecostal Bishop Sergei Khomich told the Forum 18 News Service (F18News) from Minsk that even Baptism services are under threat because of the new legislation.

"In one region we were told that we could not hold baptisms in lakes and rivers because it would disturb fishermen," he was quoted as saying.

The IRPP said the apparent crack-down against religious groups backed by the controversial law is an expansion of an earlier May 2001 presidential decree on political demonstrations.

ORGANIZATIONS LIQUIDATED?

It states that organizations are liable to be liquidated if any one event they stage results in "substantial harm to the rights and legal interests of citizens or organizations, or the state or public interest"

This is defined as, for example, temporary disruption of transport or the activity of an organization, or grievous bodily harm or death, the IRPP said. "Local authorities already make it very difficult for religious bodies to carry out their services and ministries," added Grieboski.

"These new provisions make it even more difficult, and now bring the potential of liquidation to law abiding religious communities with no intent to 'harm the public interest,'" he said.

The government has not yet reacted to the international criticism, but the presidential office has in the past strongly defended policies towards religion and political movements.

1. Belarus, Human Rights and the Russian Orthodox Church (3 pages)

(From Radio Free Europe)

2. UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM - May 2003

REPORT ON BELARUS and the Politics of the Russian Orthodox Church

Core Universal Rights

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief