Belarusian official claims ‘right to interrupt services’

MINSK, Belarus — Two separate Council of Churches Baptist congregations in Belarus were raided during worship on successive Sundays earlier this year. The pastor of one is awaiting administrative trial for “holding an unauthorized religious service” and religious literature confiscated from him has not been returned. Three members of the other congregation were officially warned that if they continue to worship without state registration they could face criminal prosecution and a possible two-year prison term. “Every registered organization has a charter and the authorities control how the community follows it. This is unacceptable for us,” said Natalia Zavalei, one of the three members.

Ideology official Svetlana Starovoitova, who joined officers in raiding Zavalei’s congregation, insisted that its worship was illegal.

A religious affairs official in the capital Minsk, Mikhail Rybakov, said for communities of any faith worshiping without registration, “the authorities have the right to interrupt services.”