New Life church Protestants to complain at UN about Belarusian authorities

Members of New Life Church continue the all-day pray in their church protesting against persecution by the authorities.

As Radio Svaboda reports, there are no more court instances where the church members could apply to defend their rights.

“We are considering a question on making a complaint to the Human Rights Committee,” the lawyer of the church Syarhei Lukanin says.

The church members held a general meeting and decided not to organize street actions and not to go on hunger strike protesting against the actions by the authorities.

“What concerns our legal rights, we applied to all instances in Belarus, sent letters vent to president. We understood that legal proceedings mean nothing in our country. We can just hope for a miracle,” Syarhei Lukanin said.

Pastor of New Life church Vyachaslau Hancharenka said the church members wouldn’t give the building. “We decided not to give the building. We will gather and pray even if it takes months and years. Those who were afraid of difficulties, have left us since 2006. We have a wonderful team now, we are ready to fight,” the pastor said.

We remind that a civil case between the church and the Minsk authorities over demolition of the church building was opened in 2005. The Supreme Economic Court confirmed lawful character of the decision of the city executive committee this year, the church was to get 37.5 million rubles for the building. The Protestants have recently refused to transfer the building.