Supreme Court upholds ban on New Life Church
New Life Church being demolished in Minsk
December 12, Pozirk. The Supreme Court has upheld the Minsk City Court’s ruling to dissolve the Protestant New Life Church, Chryścijanskaja Vizija reported.
The Minsk city government accused the church of violating of the religion law and carrying out “extremist” activities.
The New Life Church was founded in 1992, and authorities have been harassing it since the early 2000s.
After the 2020 presidential election, its pastor Viačasłaŭ Hančarenka condemned police brutality against protesters. In February 2021, the city authorities evicted the congregation from the building, a former barn renovated by the community. Parishioners prayed in the streets and online.
In August, Hančarenka was jailed for defying police orders. Authorities also blacklisted Instagram posts, a YouTube video and a VKontakte group by the New Life Church as extremist content.
Under current law, activities of unregistered or outlawed religious communities can be punished by a prison sentence of up to two years.