Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Stands for Valery Schukin :: Charter'97 :: News

Leadership of the Zhodino pre-trial jail and the Committee for penalty execution of the Interior Ministry denied access to imprisoned journalist Schukin, requested by the archpriest of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church Yan Spasyuk. In this connection the Belarusian Autocephalous Church expressed its decisive protest against the violation of citizens’ constitutional right for the freedom of faith. They claim that persecution of the prominent human rights advocate Valery Schukin ahead of the presidential ballot testifies to the regime’s unwillingness to comply with fundamental human rights.

Yan Spasyuk twice visited Schukin’s prison – August 15 and 10 – as far as he learnt of Schukin’s will to confess before the priest Yan Spasyuk. However, he couldn’t get through to the imprisoned Schukin, as far as the Moscow Church leaders objected to the idea.

Deputy chief of the police committee for sentence execution Vyacheslav Shabanov declined to allow the priest to meet Schukin, claiming that their church is unregistered, while Schukin is a convinced commie and doesn’t wish to repent.

Shabanov recommended Yan Spasyuk to obtain a license from the high clergy of the Orthodox church, reading that they don’t object to his meeting Schukin: “There has been reached an agreement between Belarusian Orthodox Church and the Committee, signed by the Archbishop Filaret and the committee chief, that the Orthodox church is a coordinator of all religious practices, as far as 70% of the populace are allegedly orthodox,” – said Shabanov.