A priest with the unregistered Russian Orthodox Church Abroad has had four lengthy "discussions" with Belarusian authorities in just over a week. The authorities warned him of the possibility of imprisonment or a substantial fine if he holds any services outside his home.
The troubles began for Father Leonid Plyats when a commission arrived at his home in the village of Zabolotye near Minsk on May 17. The commission came under the pretense of conducting a fire inspection as they searched for indications that the house was used for "illegal religious activity." Following the inspection, Plyats, his wife and parishioners faced interrogation on three other occasions.
When Forum 18 was informed of the situation, they contacted authorities to ascertain the reasons for these discussions. The local police chief, Valentin Nikolaenok, refused to speak with them. Aleksandr Kozmin of the Smolevichi district Ideology Department was part of the initial commission investigating Plyats. Speaking with Forum 18 on June 6, Kozmin said, "Plyats is innocent. No court has found him guilty. The warning was just an explanation of the law." Kozmin denies that any pressure was put on Plyats.
Pray for Father Plyats and the many other leaders of unregistered religious communities in Belarus who are facing threats, fines and interrogations because of their faith. Pray that the Belarusian leaders will recognize the need for freedom of religious expression in their country. Belarus has the harshest religious controls of any European country. Despite international human rights commitments, the government has declared all unregistered religious activity illegal and has cracked down on any religious community who has not been registered. For more information on the situation in Belarus, click here. A video report from Belarus is also available in the Video section of our multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.
