Pavel Seviarynets: We Need Solidarity To Defeat State Racketeering

The Council of Ministers' resolution on payment for "mass events" must be abolished.

Co-chairmen of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Pavel Seviarynets has told Radio Racyja why the authorities do not want to meet the believers halfway. According to the BCD website, co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy Pavel Seviarynets has received a response to the collective appeal, signed by hundreds of believers of different faiths, demanding to cancel the infamous "decree № 49" of the Council of Ministers on payment for mass non-commercial activities.

Head of the Department of Finance and Home Front of the Ministry of Internal Affairs V.A. Dubavets considers that all the conditions have been created for holding religious and non-commercial non-governmental events in Belarus - and no changes in the legislation, in particular, the "Resolution № 49", are required.

"It should be noted that it was stated to the Catholic bishops, who applied to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, that religious organizations and churches would not be charged with these fees. At the same time, however, Resolution No. 49 exists and is in force, and in fact the final decision is to be taken by the local authorities. If they allow them to go without payment, the pilgrims will go. If there is no permit, they will demand a large sum of money, as it happened with the Greek-Catholic pilgrimage in Vitsebsk. In other words, they have created such a trap, and it is one of the many methods to take off the money from the population in a "legal" way," - Pavel Seviarynets believes.

- They may make concessions for some people, while they may not make them for others...

- Yes, and it reminds us of the legalized state racketeering.

Policemen come and say that they will "guard" the event, but you have to pay for it. And if you refuse, there will be no event.

So, in fact, the system of state racketeering has been established, including in relation to Christian churches. And this is, of course, the yoke that has now been put on everyone.

It seems to me that now we need the solidarity of all churches in order to have this resolution repealed. After all, today the Greek Catholics have found themselves in such a situation, and tomorrow Budslau or the Procession of the Cross in Hrodna will be banned. The regime needs money, and it tries to take it off from people. And the authorities are not afraid of God...