TALLINN, Estonia (AP) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed into law a law that significantly tightens control over various religious sects and organizations.
The law, published on the president's website this week, requires all sects and religious groups to reapply for state registration, although authorities reserve the right to refuse.
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It is the latest step in Lukashenko's crackdown on the opposition, which intensified after a disputed 2020 presidential election that gave the authoritarian leader a sixth term in office. The government arrested more than 35,000 protesters at demonstrations denouncing voter fraud, and thousands of them were beaten while in custody. Many were forced to leave the country to avoid prosecution.
From 2022, involvement in an unregistered organization will become a criminal offense, punishable by up to two years in prison.
According to official data for 2023, a total of 3,417 religious groups are registered in Belarus, a country of 9.5 million people. About 80% are Orthodox Christians. Nearly 14% are Catholic, living primarily in the west, north and center of the country. and about 2% belong to Protestant churches.
Authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has called on all religious groups in the country to re-register. (Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP)
During the 2020 anti-government protests, some Catholic and Protestant churches provided shelter and support to demonstrators.
The new law gave authorities broad powers to refuse registration and shut down religious groups. It stipulates that in order for a religious group or sect to be registered, at least one parish must have been active in Belarus for at least 30 years. All denominations and organizations must reapply for registration within one year.
It also prohibits people accused of involvement in what authorities consider to be extremist or terrorist activities from running religious organizations, and prohibits the use of non-religious symbols in church services. ing. Gatherings at churches other than worship services are also prohibited.
The Rev. Zmitzer Kvedaluk, a Protestant pastor, called the law “oppressive” in a phone interview with The Associated Press.
He expressed concern that “the Belarusian Protestant Church will be the main target of the new law” in Orthodox-majority Belarus, given its popularity, especially among young people.
“Many Protestant churches in Belarus have either ceased operations or have effectively operated underground, with (members) illegally gathering in people's homes to pray under threat of criminal prosecution. We will face a difficult choice: return to the dark Soviet era,” Hvedark told The Associated Press.
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Analysts say Belarusian authorities are seeking to tighten control over the public sphere ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for next month and a presidential vote in 2025.
Natalia Vasilevich, coordinator of the Christian Vision monitoring group, said: “The Belarusian authorities consider the clergy to be leaders of public opinion who influence large numbers of people. Therefore, they keep all sects under strict central control. “We are trying to keep it that way,” he said. She said: “The new law is oppressive and does not comply with international standards on freedom of conscience.”
