Conflicts Between Government and Religious Confessions :: Charter'97 :: News

Religious situation in Gomel region and application of the law “On freedom of faith and religious organizations” in the sphere of state-church relations have been raised for consideration and debating at the February 21 meeting of the Gomel regional committee.

According to Vladimir Klevtsov, last year saw no conflicts between various denominations. Meantime, the authorities had certain problems mostly with the Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists. The former even stood trial for their members’ unwillingness to join the ranks. Three young men received conditional sentences for their refusal to obey military conscription. Their literature, added Klevtsov, contains criticism of Orthodox and Catholic churches. As concerns Adventists, they had five of their kids suspended from classes for not attending it on Saturday, which they consider to be special God’s day.

The meeting participants underscored that the state will soon impose a stricter control over the religious literature and audio-video products, coming from abroad. All of it has to pass religious expertise.