Control Over Religious Organizations Toughens :: Charter'97 :: News

In the country a document was published recommending local authorities to toughen control over activities of religious organizations, Forum-18 agency informs. The document was signed by deputy head of the State committee On Affairs of Religions and Nationalities Vladimir Lameko.

In every region of the country activities of the religious organizations are now supervised not only by independent experts, but also by a number of commissions, who are to monitor the law on religion execution. In his address Uladzimir Lameko underlined that these commissions were to activate the work settling religious situation in the country.

The commissions are to control activities of the communities of different denominations thoroughly, especially communities of Protestant and Catholic parishes, which envisages regular visits to services and meetings with leadership of religious organizations. Local administration is to check activities of the unregistered religious organizations: in certain cases commissions have a right to prohibit services, educational work and so on. According to the State Committee on Affairs of Religions and Nationalities, commissions are to take notice of the use of foreign languages during services: Russian and Belarusian languages must be preferred.