Belarus - Castle and moat - Photo: Pixabay

Belarus

Belarus is officially a republic country. However, in practise, the government restricts basic human rights and does not uphold the rule of law. Other national governments have expressed grave concerns over the lack of true democratic principles in what has been referred to as "Europe's last dictatorship."

Life for Christians:

Although the constitution protects religious freedom, a 2002 religion law affords the Belarusian Orthodox Church the primary role of developing the traditions of the nation's people. Other "traditional faiths" maintain historical importance, but religious groups outside those outlined in the religion law face serious restrictions. All congregations must register, but it is an expensive and drawn-out process that frequently proves to be humanly impossible.

  • Country Information

    Designation
    Persecuted

    Population
    9,477,918 (July 2020 est.)

    Religion (%)
    Orthodox (48.3), Catholic (7.1), Other (3.5), None (41.1)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Belarusian (83.7), Russian (8.3), Polish (3.1), Ukrainian (1.7), other (2.4), unspecified (0.9)

    Leader
    President Aleksandr Lukashenko (1994)

    Government type
    Presidential republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship

    Legal system
    Civil law system.

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Belarus

    Pray for increased freedom of religion – not only indicated as mere written words in the country’s constitution but also demonstrated as a living reality in the lives of the oppressed believers. May there be a lifting of restraints on evangelical groups in their efforts to spread the Gospel and plant new churches.

Belarus News

  • New Religious Restrictions Pass into Law
    President Aleksandr Lukashenko
    President Aleksandr Lukashenko
    Photo: Wikipedia / Tatarstan.ru (cc)

    On December 30th, President Aleksandr Lukashenko officially passed into law new religious regulations, finalizing a bill that had initially been introduced in September 2023. For more details, see this page. The policies are scheduled to take effect on July 5th and, while the legislation carries various new stipulations, the most significant is the requirement that all religious communities must re-register within one year of the law coming into effect.

  • Officials Issue Threats to Church Leaders
    Saint Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church in Baranovichi city.
    An Orthodox church in Belarus.
    Photo: Wikimedia / Horakvlado (cc)

    On December 20th, a meeting was held for the Minsk Orthodox Diocese. During the gathering, which consisted of more than two hundred priests, Olga Chemodanova from the Ideology Department of the Minsk Executive Committee was invited to speak. She told those present that state agencies were monitoring more than 500 religious communities and openly warned against committing any act that could potentially be perceived as being political in nature, including the use of "non-religious symbols." Her address clearly threatened any church leaders who may be considered "ideologically alien," further indicating that such leaders should expect to serve time in prison.

  • Church Appeals Liquidation Orders
    A building is only partially standing, with the rest in rubbles.
    Destruction of the New Life Church building.
    Photo: New Life Church

    On October 6th, the court proceedings to determine the future of the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus, officially began. After years of harassment by various government departments, legal action was taken to liquidate the church organization. For more details on this troubling situation, go to this page.

  • Revised Religion Law Passes First Reading
    The House of Government in Minsk
    House of Government in Minsk
    Photo: Wikipedia / Suicasmo (cc)

    A new religion law, which was introduced to Belarus' House of Representatives on September 29th, passed its first reading on October 11th. The text of the draft law was only made public on October 10th. While some aspects of the previous version of the law will remain the same, the new legislation would impose significantly tighter restrictions on the country's Christians if approved.