Evangelic Churches in Kobryn and Brest Fined :: Charter'97 :: News

On October 17 representatives of Kobryn city executive committee, Emergency Situations Ministry officials and sanitary station of Kobryn visited a number of unregistered Evangelic churches of the town to spot violations of the law. As a result a report has been filed against the pastor of the church of Evangelic Faith Christians on Kobryn, Mikalay Radkovich. The fine is 25,000 Br. The church is fined for violation of fire regulations, and specifically, the size of fire-extinguisher does not correspond the standards, taking into consideration the floor area.

Mikalay Radkevich commented this fine: “It was an order from higher instances, from Brest. I do not know the aim, but such inspections are visiting us regularly every year”.

A report has been drawn up against a member of the church of Evangelic Christians Baptists. Pastor Stsyapan Kanavalchuk views it as a “breach of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience”. He also said that it is not the first fine in the 10-year history of their house of worship, and every time the authorities are forcing the church to register.

Church members from Kobryn informed that the unregistered church of Evangelic Christians Baptists in Brest faces the analogous situation.