BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

03/11/2006

Western diplomats visited Protestant community in Minsk

Minsk, November 3, Interfax - The ambassadors of the United States and the European Union countries visited a building occupied by members of a Minsk Protestant Christian community.

U.S. Ambassador Karen Stewart said the visit was a show of support for the believers who belong to the New Life denomination and began a hunger strike more than four weeks ago to protest a decision by Minsk authorities to deprive the community of the building where it held its worship services.

The protesters suspended their hunger strike on October 30 until November 16.

The Minsk city administration had decided to take the building, which is a former cowshed, away from the community, paying the latter compensation for it.

Administration deputy head Mikhail Titenkov said the administration "is not going to permit the former cowshed, which, to boot, poses a fire hazard, to be turned into a place of worship."

There are 54 Full Gospel communities in Belarus, nine of them based in Minsk, the Belarussian Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs told Interfax.

Source:

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2214