The Constitution of Belarus states:
In practice, however, the government does not allow this right. The government is pursuing a policy of supporting the Orthodox Church in an effort to strengthen Slavic identity and unity in the region. President Aleksandr Lukashenko has granted special financial and tax advantages to the Orthodox Church. He has declared that the preservation and development of the Orthodox Church is a “moral necessity.”
Article 31. (Religion)Everyone shall have the right independently to determine his attitude towards religion, to profess any religion individually or jointly with others, or to profess none at all, to express and spread beliefs connected with his attitude towards religion, and to participate in the performance of acts of worship and religious rituals and rites.
Oversight of religious affairs in the country is maintained by the Committee of Religious and Nationalities Affairs of the Council of Ministers (CRNA). Under regulations passed in 2001, CRNA must grant permission for any foreign representatives of religious organizations to visit Belarus, even if their purpose is not religious. Since April 2001, the government has prohibited the establishment of foreign organizations "the activities of which are aimed at ... the inciting of national, religious and racial enmity, as well as activities which can have negative effects on the physical and mental health of the people." In 2002 a further law on religion was passed aimed at limiting the activities of evangelical Christians.
In 1995, in order to protect the dominant position of the Orthodox Church, to deter the growth of the Catholic and Protestant churches, and to prevent the spread of religious movements outside of the mainstream, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a directive limiting the activity of foreign religious workers. While proselytizing by citizens is not prohibited, foreign missionaries may not engage in any religious activity outside of the institutions that invited them. Only religious organizations already registered with the government may invite foreign clergy. The directive seeks to limit the efforts of foreign religious workers to providing humanitarian aid. Special permission must be granted by the State Committee on Religious Affairs in order for bishops to transfer a foreign priest to another parish. The head of the Orthodox Church has been highly critical of missionaries.
Only about 26 religious organizations are registered on the national level. Registration has been denied to several Protestant organizations. Non-traditional religions and some Protestant and Evangelical faiths are viewed negatively as "sects." The Baptist Church in Belarus has refused to register on the grounds that it violates the basic principle of church/state separation. As a result, they have been fined and harassed by the government. Pentecostal churches have also suffered from the increasingly repressive policy of the government..
The government has adopted an especially intolerant and repressive attitude toward new religious movements. In 1997, the Council of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 39 which states that "all ... unregistered churches should be banned," and that "the national television should broadcast information about dangerous 'pseudo-mystical cults'."
For example, the Unification Church applied for registration in 1996 and was denied. It has since been banned by the adoption of Resolution No. 309. In June 1998, the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP), a student organization founded by Rev. Moon, received notice from the Supreme Court that a case had been filed to deregister it and shut it down, even though the organization had been registered and conducting public activities for several years. CARP has been unable to renew its registration.
2003 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Report on Belarus
Belarusian Protestants appeal for change in law banning worship in homes WorldWide Religious News, 3/25/04
BELARUS: Unregistered Baptist churches face Monday "disbandment" deadline WorldWide Religious News, 2/26/04
Belarus Cracks Down on Churches CNS.com 2/24/04
BELARUS: More Baptist pastors fined WorldWide Religious News, 2/17/04
BELARUS: Close supervision of religious life is central policy WorldWide Religious News, 2/09/04
Krishna devotees under pressure WorldWide Religious News, 1/27/04
BELARUS: Baptist pastors fined WorldWide Religious News, 2/04/04
Eastern
Europe Faces an Uncertain Future For Religious Freedom and Democracy
ICRF International Religious Freedom World Report, Vol. 4 No. 2, Summer 2003
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