Trial Finished, But Disregard of the Law Continues :: Charter'97 :: News

On October 18 the court decision of October 7, 2005 on the case of the “New Life” church administrator Vasil Yurevich was received. It was stated in the court decision, which had been read in the court in presence of public that he was found guilty of taking part in an illegal church service. However in the written court decision the administrator is found guilty of organizing a church service on September 4 this year. It is stated there that Vasil Yurevich was an organizer because he greeted the parishioners.

Besides, the court called in question the official document which says that on that day the administrator was on a leave. The court was satisfied with the evidence of police representative Tatsyana Dzikan, who said that on that day “she came up to talk to Yurevich as a responsible person”.

It is reflected in the text of the court decision that witnesses representing the church denied that the administrator is responsible for organizing the church service. However, in the next paragraph of the court decision it is said that it criminates Vasil Yurevich and proves his responsibility for organizing the service.

“It is hard to comment on the document that lies completely outside the legal framework,” the lawyer of the church Syarhei Lukanin notes. “These events once again demonstrate that the Belarusian legal system is not independent. But we would act according to the law, and lodge a complaint to Minsk city court”.