Varakina, a member of the local unregistered Baptist Church, was convicted under the Administrative Code’s Article 184-2 (”illegal storage, production, import, distribution of religious materials”). A human rights defender, who wished to remain unnamed for fear of state reprisals, told Forum 18 on 5 August that the “expert analysis” of Varakina’s books – as the verdict notes – was made by the local Spiritual Administration of Muslims or Muftiate, instead of by the state Religious Affairs Committee in Tashkent. The Muftiate is under total state control (see the Forum 18 religious freedom survey of Uzbekistan http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1170)

After initially denying it, Officer Senichev (who refused to give his first name) of Kaluga Police in central Russia admitted to Forum 18 News Service that eleven armed officers with dogs had interrupted the 28 February Sunday morning service of St George’s Lutheran congregation. “We had a call on the hotline that extremist literature was there. We’re obliged by law to investigate all such calls.” He was unable to specify which Russian law requires the police to respond to anonymous calls. Senichev was also unable to say why, if extremist literature was believed to be present, police officers conducting a search needed to be armed and accompanied by dogs. Nor was he able to explain why the search was conducted during the church’s Sunday worship service. The preacher at the service, Pastor Igor Knyazev, later wrote an article entitled “How to behave during raids”. Meanwhile, Jehovah’s Witnesses told Forum 18 that an administrative fine on two members in Krasnodar Region was accompanied by the first official order in post-Soviet Russia to destroy their confiscated literature.

Police in the town of Kaluga south-west of the Russian capital Moscow raided the Sunday morning service of St George’s Lutheran congregation on 28 February, Kaluga police, prosecutor’s office and the church’s pastor Dmitry Martyshenko separately confirmed to Forum 18 News Service. Pastor Martyshenko told Forum 18 that eleven police officers armed with automatic weapons and accompanied by police dogs burst into the service, looking for alleged “extremist literature”. “Our explanations that the Bible and books of the [Lutheran] Augsburg Confession have nothing to do with extremist literature didn’t seem to convince them,” he told Forum 18 from Kaluga on 12 March.

Pastor Martyshenko of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in Russia told Forum 18 that when the armed officers burst in, they blocked the church doors to prevent anyone leaving or entering. They said they had received a report that “extremist literature” was present at the church. “They told us it was an anonymous call, but that they had to follow up on it.” While one officer openly filmed the search, another officer sat at the back filling in forms which she did not show to the congregation. “All the officers showed a highly negative attitude towards us,” Martyshenko told Forum 18.

Pastor Martyshenko said the police checked the only literature present at the church – Bibles and hymnbooks – as they hunted for the alleged extremist literature. He added that late-comers to the ordination service were prevented from entering to join the fifteen or so church members inside. He said the search lasted about one hour.

The service was also attended by Archbishop Iosif Baron of the Augsburg Lutheran Church, who had come to the church in Kaluga to ordain Martyshenko. Church members continued the service despite the interruption.

Pastor Martyshenko believes the only reason the police did not stop the service was that a church member who is also an elected member of the Regional Legislative Assembly – Vyacheslav Gorbatin – was present in the congregation.

Later the same day, Pastor Martyshenko was summoned to the police station to give a statement. At the station he asked the police why they had raided the church and why they needed a statement. “They told me a ’sect’ was meeting there with ‘extremist’ literature,” he told Forum 18.

Officer Senichev (who refused to give his first name) of the 1st department of Kaluga Police initially denied to Forum 18 on 23 March that the Lutheran church had been raided. However, he then conceded that eleven armed officers with dogs had interrupted the 28 February service. “We had a call on the hotline that extremist literature was there. We’re obliged by law to investigate all such calls.” He was unable to specify which Russian law requires the police to respond to anonymous reports on the hotline.

Senichev was also unable to say why, if extremist literature was believed to be present, police officers conducting a search needed to be armed and accompanied by dogs. Nor was he able to answer Forum 18’s question as to why the search was conducted during the church’s Sunday worship service.

Hostility to local Lutherans

While the congregation has been able to worship undisturbed since the 28 February raid, Pastor Martyshenko complained to Forum 18 of what he described as “hostility” to the Lutheran community locally. He said he believes this has stepped up since the community acquired its own worship building in December 2009.

He pointed to several negative articles in local newspapers since the beginning of 2010, particularly a 7 March attack in the paper published by the Kaluga branch of the United Russia political party. It described the community as a “Catholic sect” which has recently stepped up its “proselytism”. It described the 28 February raid as confirming accusations against the community, and particularly criticised Gorbatin.

Pastor Martyshenko also complained that despite repeated attempts by the community, the church has been unable to get the legal designation of its church building changed to match its current use.

He added that the 1st department of Kaluga Police later phoned him demanding that he show them the documents proving ownership of the church building and the land underneath it. He asked why this was a matter for the police and said he would only provide this in response to a written request. On 12 March the police sent him the written request, to which he has one month to respond.

“How to behave during raids”

Preaching the sermon at the raided service was Pastor Igor Knyazev from Moscow. Two days later, he wrote an article drawing on his experience, “How to behave during raids”http://www.luther.ru/church/38-2008-11-02-14-08-42/932-2010-03-02-16-46-03.html. He urged church members whose services, churches or church offices were being raided by police, the FSB security service, or riot police, to remain calm, conduct themselves with dignity, not to provoke the raiders and try to negotiate with them.

Other suggestions Pastor Knyazev made included that church members should: ensure that raiders present any demands in writing; take witnesses if summoned to a police station; and tell as many people as possible if the authorities attempt to intimidate people or recruit spies within the community.

Prosecutor investigating raid

On 3 March, Pastor Martyshenko complained to various officials, including Yuri Zelnikov, Kaluga Regional Ombudsperson for Human Rights, asking him to investigate whether the 28 February police raid was legal. In a letter seen by Forum 18, Zelnikov passed on the enquiry two days later to Mikhail Yevstigneyev, Kaluga’s Acting Prosecutor.

Yevstigneyev confirmed that police had interrupted the Lutheran service on 28 February. “We’re investigating the legality of the incident in response to the complaint,” he told Forum 18 from Kaluga on 23 March. He said he has 30 days to complete his enquiries. “I beg you not to jump to conclusions before the investigation is complete.” He said that the police might well have had reasons for the raid. “We’re checking to see whether there was a call to them or not.” He stressed that if the police violated the law, they could face disciplinary measures or even – “depending on the seriousness” – criminal charges.

Yevstigneyev insisted to Forum 18 that he does not believe the police are hostile to “other faiths”. Asked to explain what he means by “other faiths”, he specified the Lutherans. Asked whether the police would have raided, for example, a Sunday service in a Russian Orthodox church, he responded: “I don’t think so.”

Yevstigneyev stressed that no criminal case nor investigation is underway against any local Lutherans over alleged “extremist” literature.

On 19 March, in a written response seen by Forum 18, the 1st department of Kaluga Police told Pastor Martyshenko that its investigation into the raid had uncovered “no violations of the law on the part of police officers”.

Crackdown on those the government brands “extremist”

Amid a continuing, widespread campaign against those the government brands religious “extremists”, Jehovah’s Witnesses and readers of Muslim theologian Said Nursi have been particular victims. Many of their works have been branded “extremist” and placed on the Federal List of Extremist Materials. Distribution, preparation or storage with the aim of distribution of these titles may result in prosecution under Criminal Code Article 282 (”incitement of ethnic, racial or religious hatred”), whose penalties range from a fine to up to five years in prison. However, the authorities may instead choose to prosecute under Article 20.29 of the Administrative Violations Code (”production and distribution of extremist material”), whose penalties range from a fine to up to 15 days’ detention.

For the first time in post-Soviet Russia to Forum 18’s knowledge, formal criminal charges were in February brought against readers of religious literature. Four readers of the works of Muslim theologian Said Nursi have been charged with breaking Article 282.2 Part 1 of the Criminal Code (”organising activity by a banned religious or other association”), which carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. Nursi readers are described in the charges as “members of a criminal group” (see F18News 4 March 2010http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1416).

Mid-March saw raids on four Jehovah’s Witness homes and place of worship in Tambov, where a criminal case has been launched. In Taganrog, officials have continued to question local Jehovah’s Witnesses (see F18News 22 March 2010http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1424). Jehovah’s Witnesses have told Forum 18 of many more brief detentions of their adherents across Russia (see F18News 25 March 2010 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1426). ]]> http://www.libertyoffaith.org/?feed=rss2&p=180 56 http://www.libertyoffaith.org/?p=177 http://www.libertyoffaith.org/?p=177#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:04:05 +0000 admin http://www.libertyoffaith.org/?p=177 The European Union has reportedly formed an association to protect the rights of Christians in countries where they face persecution. “We’ve set up a working group and are defining what bilateral action can be taken between Europe and the individual countries where Christians’ rights are in danger,” said Italy’s Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, welcomed the move, commenting, “Christians are facing increasing persecution mainly in Muslim countries. We urge the international community to join Italy’s effort in promoting religious freedom and protecting Christians from persecution in Muslim and other Christian persecuting countries.”

The EU is studying which international initiatives it can adopt to bring the problem of persecution “more clearly into focus,” Frattini said.

In an interview with Italian daily Avvenire, Frattini further indicated that the European Union would draw up a manual for EU countries’ embassies in nations where persecution is present.

“By the end of April we’ll have a manual for European embassies in the rest of the world, focusing in particular on the treatment of Christian religious minorities,” he said.

Such a “common protocol,” he noted, was never before been implemented and if brought out will help “closely monitor the treatment of religious minorities, especially Christian minorities, in the most sensitive countries.”

He clarified that “monitoring” would only be in regard to religious freedom. The EU intends to use a document published recently by Open Doors that contains detailed analysis of Christian persecution worldwide and identifies a list of countries where the situation regarding religious freedom ranges from “persecution,” “serious persecution,” “limitations” to “problematic.”

Ranked first in the list is North Korea, followed by Iran, Somalia and Saudi Arabia.

Keeping that in mind, Frattini stressed the need for a group of like-minded countries that could voice for the right of Christians to profess their faith anywhere in the world.

“You see, Christians have never had a political group offering them strong support through their governments. We discovered this when we found ourselves alone in contesting the ruling on crucifixes,” he said. “We campaigned vigorously and succeeded in attracting the consensus of at least 15-16 countries which, formally or informally, came round to our position.”

Earlier this month, a delegation of the European Union visited Kandhamal – the scene of the 2008 anti-Christian riots – in India where they met government and police officials.

The 11-member delegation led by the EU’s head of political affairs, Christophe Manet, reviewed the ground situation and met with victims of violence. The EU has strongly condemned the violence and called for protection of minorities.

ChristianPost.com

Baptist deacon Pavel Nenno in Uzbekistan was sentenced to 15 days in prison for feeding needy children. According to Forum 18, other believers say that he was simply “feeding neglected children from poor families.” As a result, Nenno’s home was raided by NSS secret police and he was jailed on March 27. He was quickly released but was later brought in for further questioning, resulting in his 15 day sentence.

In a similar case, 17 people from the Bukhara Full Baptist Church were each fined 100 times the minimum monthly salary of the country for attending a church member’s birthday party.

The Uzbek government says it is in the children’s best interest to be kept from church activities. Forum 18 noted that one Bukhara headteacher did not want children to attend church, proposing the apparent alternative, “I want our children to develop.”

General Secretary of the Uzbek Baptist Union, Pavel Peichev, believes the government is attempting to wipe out the presence of any church unaffiliated with the Russian Orthodox Church.

Pray that Nenno would be released from prison and for justice to prevail with all believers under attack. Pray that Uzbek Christians would remain strong and continue to share their faith.

The family of Ivan Mikhailov, a Messianic Jew, condemned a three-month prison term handed him today (1 February) by a court in the Belarusian capital Minsk for refusing compulsory military service. “So many positive things were said about Ivan in court – and then came this sentence,” his brother-in-law Mikhail Suboch, present in court, told Forum 18 News Service from Minsk in the wake of the verdict. “The sentence has nothing to do with justice. The judge did not make his decision alone.” Officials at Minsk District Court confirmed the sentence to Forum 18 but declined to discuss it.

Mikhailov was found guilty under Article 435, Part 1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code, which punishes refusing the compulsory call-up to military service with a fine or imprisonment of up to two years. He plans to appeal to Minsk Regional Court against today’s jail sentence.

Also present in court was Mikhail Pashkevich, coordinator of the campaign group For Alternative Civilian Service http://ags.by. “Mikhailov looked very thin, but stuck firmly to his position,” he told Forum 18 from Minsk on 1 February. He said Mikhailov had been brought to court in handcuffs with a shaved head, and was held in a cage during the trial. The opposition Christian Democratic Party, which sent a representative to the trial, described the sentence as “a crude violation of the rights of all to freedom of conscience”.

The right to refuse military service is part of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion guaranteed by Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Belarus ratified in 1976. It is also part of Belarus’ Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) human dimension commitments. Despite Belarus’ international obligations, a possible Law on Alternative Service was this year withdrawn. The failure to introduce civilian alternative service comes a decade after a May 2000 Constitutional Court ruling declaring its introduction “urgent” (see F18News 18 January 2010 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1396).

Main victim is “the state”?

Aleksandr Cherepovich, the Minsk District prosecutor who led the case in court, declined to comment on the sentence. “The reasons will all be in the written verdict,” he told Forum 18 on 1 February. He refused to discuss why Mikhailov was unable to make use of his rights to alternative civilian service set out in Belarus’ Constitution. Asked who had suffered from his refusal to conduct military service, he responded: “The state.”

The sentence means that Mikhailov, held in pre-trial detention in Zhodino near Minsk since 15 December 2009, must serve another six weeks there unless he wins an appeal.

Arguments in court

Mikhailov, 21, belongs to a Messianic Jewish congregation in Minsk. He was arrested at work on 15 December after Minsk District Military Commissariat rejected his repeated appeals to be allowed to do alternative civilian service (see F18News 18 January 2010 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1396).

His trial began at Minsk District Court on 29 January under Judge Aleksei Minich. Prosecutor Cherepovich argued for a five-month prison term, but Mikhailov insisted it was not his fault that Parliament and other state bodies have made no moves to adopt a Law allowing him to make use of his constitutional right to alternative service.

Mikhailov’s lawyer, Svetlana Gorbatok, repeatedly referred to Article 57 of the 1994 Constitution, which refers to legal provision of alternative service. She argued that the absence of an Alternative Service Law cannot serve as a legal basis for violating Mikhailov’s rights. Article 57 states:

(1) It shall be the responsibility and sacred duty of every citizen of the Republic of Belarus to defend the Republic of Belarus.

(2) The procedure governing military service, the grounds and conditions for exemption from military service, and the substitution thereof by alternative service shall be determined by law.

Alternative civilian service petition launched

In the wake of Mikhailov’s sentence, For Alternative Civilian Service announced the launch of a petition calling for such a civilian alternative service. The Petition is addressed to the General Prosecutor and the chairs of the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the House of Representatives (the lower house of Parliament).

Belarusian authorities have been hostile to civil society groups initiating such petitions, fining and firing from their work human rights defenders who collected the largest non-party political petition in Belarusian history (see F18News 29 April 2008 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1121). This petition – which gained 50,000 signatures and was 3,442 pages long – called for the Religion Law to be changed to conform with international human rights standards (see F18News 16 May 2007 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=957).

“Obstructed the maintenance of the manpower of the armed forces”

For Alternative Civilian Service notes that Mikhailov’s sentence is the second sentence recently imposed for conscientious objection to military service. In November 2009 the Central District Court of the south-eastern city of Gomel [Homyel] fined Jehovah’s Witness Dmitry Smyk 3,500,000 Belarusian Roubles (7,230 Norwegian Kroner, 862 Euros or 1,290 US Dollars) under Article 435, Part 1 of the Criminal Code. He was also banned both from leaving Belarus and travelling within the country without notifying the authorities, and required to maintain “good conduct”. This was the first such prosecution since 2000 (see F18News 18 January 2010 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1396).

Smyk has now lost two appeals against the original sentence. He told Forum 18, from Gomel on 1 February, that he lodged a further supervisory appeal to the Chair of the Regional Court, Lyudmila Mikhalkova, after his appeal to the Regional Court failed in December 2009. However, she upheld the original sentence in late January 2010, arguing that his failure to respond to the call-up “obstructed the maintenance of the manpower of the armed forces”. Smyk said he is now appealing to the Supreme Court.

Constitutional Court calls for Alternative Service Law

Mikhailov’s sentence came less than a week after the Chair of Belarus’ Constitutional Court, Pyotr Miklashevich, told a Minsk press conference on 26 January that the country should adopt an Alternative Service Law. “He pointed out that the Constitutional Court already decided twice back in 2000 that a Law should be adopted to put individuals’ constitutional right to alternative service into practice,” Court Press Secretary Vasily Seledevsky told Forum 18 on 1 February (see F18News 18 January 2010 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1396). “This remains the position of the Constitutional Court.”

Seledevsky agreed that no mechanism exists to force those who have the right to initiate new Laws to do so. “Nowhere do the Constitutional Court judges have the mechanism to punish anyone. We have to rely on the Court’s high authority.” He stressed that “unfortunately” not all Court decisions are applied quickly but insisted that an Alternative Service Law will eventually be adopted.

“Concerts don’t take place in churches”

Meanwhile, the organisers of a 28 January concert to launch a CD compilation of Christian songs by contemporary composers and performers told Forum 18 that the planned launch at SS Simeon and Helen Catholic Church in central Minsk had to be cancelled.

“We began advertising the concert two weeks in advance, but just two days before it was due to take place the church received a call from a secretary at the City Executive Committee who said there would be problems if the concert was not cancelled,” Valeria Chernomortseva, one of the organisers of the CD and its launch, told Forum 18 from Minsk on 29 January. She said that at the last minute they had to transfer the launch to the nearby offices of the Belarusian Popular Front, an opposition political party.

Chernomortseva also said that organisers had asked several Minsk churches to host the launch, but they had refused, fearing problems from the authorities as a result. She said earlier CDs in the series – this is the fifth – did not face such problems.

She speculated that the authorities may have been unhappy that a number of the artists appearing were also members of the Christian Democratic Party and the symbol of the party appears on the cover. “But the disc is non-political – these are Christian songs.”

Alla Ryabitseva, senior religious affairs official at Minsk City Executive Committee, reacted angrily when asked why officials had warned the church not to host the concert. “Why are you asking me? I don’t know what you are talking about,” she told Forum 18 from Minsk on 29 January. “Concerts don’t take place in churches.” She then put the phone down.

On 29 October, three Uzbek Baptists had been slapped with huge fines for supposed tax evasion and the religious instruction of children without parental permission. The Union’s President, Pavel Peichev (Tashkent), was accused of failing to pay taxes on income from two church-run summer camps. Yet Peichev denied that his church had many any profit on the camps. The President, the bookkeeper Elena Kurbatova and Dimitry Pitirimov, the camp’s Director, are being fined a total of 11.500 euros. The fine amounts to the equivalent of 260 times the legal minimum wage. The Baptist Union must also pay the camp’s allegedly unpaid taxes. The three will also be deprived from holding any church office during the next three years.

Peck and Daelander report that the Prosecutor’s office had contacted the parents of some children and requested that they sign completed statements condemning the “Joy” Baptist camp. Most refused, but one witness did sign under pressure. Yet on her day in court, she made clear that she had no intent of accusing the Baptists.

In a letter addressed to Karimov, the German “Federation of Evangelical-Free Churches” also criticised the ruling as a violation of religious liberty. General-Secretary Regina Claas (Elstal near Berlin) and President Hartmut Riemenschneider (Marl) ask Karimov to utilise his authority so that his country might contribute to religious stability within the region.

Baptist World Alliance (BWA) General-Secretary Neville Callam (Falls Church near Washington/DC) also expressed “deep concern” regarding developments. According to reports cited by Callam, court proceedings were intended to “undermine or curtail religious activities within Uzbekistan”. The EBF has called on its member churches to pray for the convicted.

It has also become known that burglars broke into Dimitry Pitirimov’s flat when he and his wife were spending a night with their daughter. Apparently, nothing was stolen although items of value were located in the flat. A Christian calendar lay wadded up in the toilet; documents on the children’s camps were burnt on the balcony. The burglars had opened the gas valve in the flat. Dimitry Pitirimov assumes the intent had been to blow up the building. Friends of the family believe Uzbek extremists hoped to keep Dimitry Pitirimov from launching an appeal. The police then spent an entire day searching the flat for evidence. Police circles are now assuming the couple engineered the break-in themselves in order to heighten their chances of a successful appeal. The couple repudiates all such claims. They regard themselves as victims, not as perpetrators.

Officially, religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution of Uzbekistan. But religious groups complain that new religious legislation contradicts the constitution and that violations of human rights and religious freedom frequently occur. Ninety percent of Uzbekistan’s 25 million residents are Muslims, 4,7% are Christian. The country’s Baptist Union consists of 37 congregations with a membership of roughly 3.800.

Klaus Rösler, 28 November 2009

“It is important to not sacrifice human rights to political necessity and so called “realpolitic” – said participants of the meeting.   

On the next day, November 24, in Copenhagen Christian cultural center (Denmark) took place a prayer meeting of Russian and international congregations. On the meeting leader of the society “The Other Europe” told about a situation in Belarus. Stories of such churches as “New Life” and Calvary in Belarus aroused a special interest. Pastor of a Minsk church of st. John the Forerunne Jaroslav Lukasik was deported from Belarus in June 2007 year, and a bishop Veniamin Bruh was deported in October of 2008 year. 

On the same day in Kiev took place a meeting of bishops of Calvary churches. Christians in Copenhagen prayed for the pastor Jaroslav Lukasik, bishop Veniamin Bruh and pastor of the church “New Life”. 

Leader of the prayer ministry, preacher Samuel prayed with all his heart for Danish politicians for God throuth them to influence on Lukashenko.   
  
With tears Christians in Copenhagen prayed for people in Belarus for the local authorities to give people freedom to believe in God and preach the Gospel. They also remembered the missing victims of the regime: the former Minister Yury Zakharenko, deputy Victor Gonchar, businessman Anatoly Krasovsky, journalist Dmitry Zavodsky and others.  
 
All participants of the meeting promissed to continue praying for Belarus and become a part of the Baltic Prayer Chain in support of the persecuited churches.