DISCRIMINATION LAW “ABOUT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS” COMPLICATED ACTIVITIES OF KRISHNA COMMUNITIES. AT PRESENT ALL ACTIVITIES OF KRISHNA FOLLOWERS IN BELARUS ARE OUTLAWED

Representatives of Krishna Consciousness communities Siarhei Malakhowski, Alexander Karzow, and Andrei Zubko spoke about that in their appeal. They addressed Lukashenka’s office, the government, the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly, as well as human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions, accredited in Belarus. When the Law “About Freedom of Consciousness and Religious Organizations” was adopted, all Krishna communities started to face problems in implementing their main activities: spreading religious literature, praising the names of the God, and distributing free vegetarian food. Believers do these activities outdoors, and get detained for that. There are “insurmountable obstacles” in registration of new communities, believers are “threatened with discharge from jobs and mental hospitals”. In conjunction with impossibility to register an association there is a problem with inviting spiritual teachers to Belarus, who are citizens of other countries. As the result, “the communities face suspension of their activities and the perspective of closure”.

In their address the representatives of Krishna communities express hope for “help of all sensible and just people, defense from human rights organizations of different countries”.