Jehovah's Witnesses have committed numerous violations
Jehovah's Witnesses committed numerous violations in Belarus in 2014, stated today the Plenipotentiary Representative for Religious and National Affairs Leonid Gulyako at a meeting dedicated to the results of the state bodies' work on religious and national affairs in 2014 and the tasks for 2015.
"Facts indicate that members of this religious organization committed numerous violations of the current legislation on freedom of conscience and religious organizations throughout 2014. Religious printed materials were distributed in unapproved locations, and religious activities were carried out outside the territory where the community operates. These facts have been documented in Vitebsk, Brest, Bereza, Beloozersk, Glusk, Mogilev, Molodechno, and in the Pruzhany district," said Leonid Gulyako. In addition, the activity of Russian and Ukrainian representatives of this religious organization in Belarus is noted. They distribute their literature in the country.
Leonid Gulyako added that in June 2014, the Grodno Regional Executive Committee refused to register the founders of the Lida city organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. "What kind of registration of new communities can be discussed if they violate the legislation in our country everywhere," the plenipotentiary representative noted.
He also reported that attempts to register religious organizations under the guise of public ones continue in Belarus. However, thanks to cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, the office of the Plenipotentiary Representative for Religious and National Affairs manages to solve this problem.
As of January 1, 2015, 25 religious confessions and denominations were registered in Belarus. The total number of religious organizations in the country reached 3482. There are 44 monasteries, 36 missions, 16 brotherhoods, 10 sisterhoods, and 17 spiritual educational institutions in Belarus. Also, more than 200 national-cultural associations operate in the republic.
The meeting of the board of the office of the Plenipotentiary Representative for Religious and National Affairs was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Natalya Kochanova, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Nikolay Melchenko, and other representatives of various state authorities.