The general has not kept his word :: Charter'97 :: News

Negotiations between the New Life church’s leadership and authorities have come to a deadlock: the authorities have repeated their old demands which had caused the current events.

On September 19, 2005 there was a meeting of New Life church’s Pastor Slava, administrator Vasily and lawyer Sergei with representatives of the authorities that lasted for about 30 minutes. The meeting was organized by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs General Victor Filistovich. Instead of seeing the promised directors of respective departments, to the meeting came the second level officials: the deputy helper of the chairman of the Committee of Religions and Nationalities Alexander Kalinov and a staff of Department of Religions and Nationalities of the City of Minsk Elena Radchenko.

During this meeting the officials have repeated their lawless demands which had caused the church to make the decision to come as one man to the Minsk City Executive Council on September 15, 2005.

.The promise of General Filistovich to really look into the problems of the church and foster their positive solution was given only with the intent of employing any possible means to .prevent public turmoil. while the President was in the US. As thinks the New Life church lawyer Sergei Lukanin.

As the reminder: the general gave such a promise on September 15. It is obvious that he has treated his word lightly. During the Monday meeting his functions basically came down to those of a secretary: he organized the meeting, but has not participated in it personally.

By a chance, the set date and time of church’s visit to the Minsk City Mayor coincided with the date and time of the Belarusian President’s Speech during the UN General Assembly where he in particular briefed on the freedom of religion. The church has not pursued the goal of organizing some kind of a public noise or stain the country’s and President’s image in the eyes of world’s community, and that is why the believers gave the authorities one more chance to settle the conflict and have not gone to the Minsk City Executive Council, as states New Life church leadership.

Now we have even more arguments in favor of our open position in dialoging with the authorities. The officials will have no moral right to tell us that we have not used all peaceful means to solve our problem . comments on these negotiation New Life church’s pastor Slava Goncharenko.

General Victor Filistovich refused to comment the absence of any result during these negotiations, having stated that religion is not under his jurisdiction.

The New Life church’s problem remains unsolved. The believers still are not allowed to hold services neither on their land nor in their own building.

The believers are going to discuss their next steps and actions during the church’s subsequent services.