Head Jehovah's Witnesses church fined 1 million rubles
21- 13.08.2009, 9:58
On August 12, judge of the Chyhunachny district of Homel Vitaly Kozyrau fined head of Jehovah's Witnesses church Yury Rashetnikau.
Yury Rashetnikau was found guilty in organizing unauthorized mass event in a private house and fiend 1,050,000 Belarusian rubles, Radio Svaboda reports.
Rashentikau commented on the court decision:
“It turns out that one must have a permission to meet and discuss the Bible. But article 31 of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion. I think that our rights were restricted in this case.”
Judge Vitaly Kozyrau explained his decision by references to evidence of officers of the Chyhunachny distirct administration, who saw the storm of the private house in 1st Pereulok Krupskoi in the evening on July 12. According to witnesses from militia, it was Rashetnikau who organized the meeting.
The court decision also notes that the private house was “designed for holding religious events, there were benches, literature of Jehovah's Witnesses church, loudspeakers and a microphone. Jehovah's Witnesses church didn’t have a permission to hold mass event on this address.”
Yury Rashetnikau didn’t admit his guilt. He is going to appeal against the judgement. Rashetnikau said it had been a meeting of associates, among them members of Jehovah's Witnesses church. He didn’t organize it, but was present as a participant of the meeting.
We remind that on July 21, militia used force to search the house where believers and members of the neo-protestant Jehovah's Witnesses church gathered. Militiamen climbed over the fence, open the gate, and entered the yard. Major Dzmitry Bondarau was in charge of the operation. The search was authorized by procuracy of the Chyhunachny district.
Participants of the meeting refused to allow the militia officers in the house when its owner was out. The militiamen called for local emergency services, cut the lock with an angle grinder and entered the house. They seized musical equipment, and drew up a report against Yury Rashetnikau on violation of the order of organizing a mass event.
