BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

04/06/2007

Belarusian Pastor Arrested For Second Time In A Week

Belarusian police on June 3 arrested Antoni Bakun, the pastor of a Minsk-based Protestant community called the St. John Divine Church, Belapan and the "Nasha Niva" weekly reported. Bakun was arrested while conducting a religious service and subsequently placed in a pretrial detention center. He is reportedly to stand trial on a charge of "organizing and conducting a religious meeting without permission." Bakun was arrested on the same charge on May 27 and fined $290 by a court the following day. In recent weeks, Belarusian authorities have taken action against a number of Christian believers, expelling a U.S. Protestant minister and anulling the residency permit of Polish member of an Evangelical Christian church (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 18, 2007). JM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/06/3-CEE/cee-040607.asp