Christian leader seeks political asylum in U.S.

MOSCOW — One of Belarus’ most persecuted Christian leaders, Father Yan Spasyuk, is seeking political  in the United States, saying the degree of religious repression in the former Soviet republic has become unbearable and dangerous.

“We have had to practically go underground. There are large fines for praying at home. You can even end up in prison,” said Spasyuk, 36, administrator of the tiny Belarussian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, in an interview May 28 from Highland Park, N.J.

Spasyuk said the situation grew especially acute after a draconian new religion law was signed in October by Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko. The law strongly favors the country’s dominant Russian Orthodox Church and lays the legal groundwork for a clampdown on minority faiths in the country.