Court hearing of New Life Church’s administrator has been re-scheduled :: Charter'97 :: News

Court hearing, during which the case of New Life church.s administrator Vasily Yurevich was heard has been rescheduled for September 23, 2005. This decision was made by the judge due to the absence of eye-witnesses on the behalf of police officers.

As a reminder, the administrator is being charged with organizing of an unsanctioned religious service on July 24, 2005.

Over 60 believers came to the court to verify the innocence of Vasily Yurevich. The judge of the Moscow district of the city of Minsk Nataliya Kuznetsova allowed for only 3 believers to speak as eye-witnesses.

Declarations of all believers that were present during the court hearing were added to the case.s documents. They state that on November 21, 2004 during the general assembly of New Life church.s members all the members of the church personally voted to hold services every Sunday, whether they will have a permit to do so or not.

The court was also made acquainted with the decree of New Life church.s Chairman Slava Goncharenko, which states that the administrator is not allowed to organize any mass meetings or gatherings.

The court hearing was conducted with a multitude of various violations. In particular, the eye-witness on the behalf of the Police Captain Kolodinsky stated that he does not exactly remember all of the events that took place on that day. After that the judge, in violation of the current legislation read the protocol and demanded that the eye-witness confirm it.

During the court hearing the judge took liberties to insult the believers by calling New Life church .a sect.. In conclusion the judge also suggested for the church to .take up an offering. and pay all the fines that were assigned to the administrator. . thus commented on the court hearing the New Life church.s lawyer Sergei Lukanin.

By the way, on September 24, 2005 there will expire the term of 2 months that the legislation allows for a court to make a decision on a case. If until that date the court makes no decision, the administrative case will be terminated.

The next court hearing for Vasily Yurevich will take place on September 23, 2005 at 12 o.clock in the afternoon.