20.08.2009
Pastors address to the President


On August, 20th 50 pastors of evangelical churches of Belarus signed the reference to the President of the country Alexander Lukashenko. In the letter pressing questions of infringement of human rights are raised by officials who are obliged to participate in maintenance of observance of the legislation in the field of a freedom of worship, but «in practice carry out the repressive policy concerning evangelical churches».
In the letter, in particular, it is spoken: «Many evangelical churches, not having possibilities for various reasons to build their own temples, are actually deprived already many years of the right to rent a premise for holding of divine services. Besides, believers of evangelical churches are exposed to humiliating shadowing from the agencies of state security, over and over again are pursued and exposed to responsibility».
In address the special accent becomes on a situation round the New Life church building which the authorities have been pursuing for almost ten years, that «has forced members of the given church, and also believers from many other churches to go on protest action – fast-hunger-strike which had a wide international resonance».
«Withdrawal of the building in Kovaleva street , 72 by state will mean, that our believers will lose possibility to gather, worship to God and to serve people, using the given premise», – pastors write and ask for immediate intervention of the President for restoration of legality and protection of constitutional laws of believers.