On March 3, a Belarusian court found Pastor Georgi Vyazovsky of the Christ's Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Minsk guilty of conducting unregistered religious activities and sentenced him to ten days in prison. According to Georgi's son, Slava, "We expected that my father would be found guilty. What we did not expect at all is the punishment for his 'crime'. This was a real shock to all of us who were present." Fines and warnings are typically meted out for these types of offenses. According to Slava, this is the first time since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1986 that a pastor has faced prison. According to Forum 18, the judge gave no reason for his decision, only stating that it was not open to appeal. Church members intend to meet Vyazovsky upon his release as a show of solidarity.
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