Pastor punished for conscience

The Maskouski district court of Minsk fined Vyachaslau Hancharenka, pastor of New Love Church, of 1,400,000 Belarusian rubles for he was demanding freedom of conscience for the Belarusians.

V. Hancharenka was found guilty of violation the law during collecting of votes for changes in the Law on religion and the Administrative Code. The believers consider the laws to discriminate all religions but the orthodox. An administrative case was initiated against three persons.

Paval Sevyarynets was fined of 1,400,000 rubles on 21 April.

The initiative group was able t collect more than 50 thousand votes (minimal essential quantity for initiating the reviewing of the law in the parliament) and passed them to the Constitutional Court, the Presidential Administration and the “house of representatives.”