Protestants’ Crusade to Minsk Executive Committee :: Charter'97 :: News

Today, on September 15 from 12.30 to 14.00 a meeting of the elders of the church “New Life” and the deputy minister of Internal Affairs, chief of police and public security, general Viktar Filistovich took place.

General asked believers not to go to the streets until any chances for talks with authorities are left. As the last chance Filistovich proposed to organize a meeting personally. It is to take place on Monday, September 19, at the noon in his office in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Beside the leadership of the church, the chairman of the Council of Ministers’ Committee on religions and nationalities’ affairs, S.Buko and the head of the Department on religions and nationalities of Minsk City Executive Committee A.N. Rabitseva are to attend the meeting.

General has given a word of honour of an officer that he would personally be engaged in the problems and promote their settling. As said by him, he is responsible for public security in Belarus, so he believes that it is not to the benefit of the country to have such a conflict between the authorities and a church.

In this situation the church decided to use that chance for settling this problem. The general was informed that in case the requirements of the church would not be satisfied within a week, next Thursday, on September 22, the church members would come to the Mayor.