MINSK, BELARUS (ANS) — Christians from across Belarus will gather together in Minsk on Sunday, June 3 to protest against continuing violations of religious freedom, including the detention of two Christians during a police raid on a church service on May 27. One of the Christians detained is a Polish citizen and faces imminent deportation.

A nationwide petition is currently being circulated in Belarus, calling for a review of the current law on religious activities, which was adopted in 2002. More than 16,000 people have signed the petition so far. The petition states that the signatories believe the laws limit their freedom of worship and expression.

The law contravenes international principles of religious freedom and human rights, including those laid out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Belarus is party.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), Police and KGB officials raided a private house in Minsk rented by the ‘John the Baptist’ church during a Pentecost service. The pastor of the church Antony Bokun and Polish citizen, Jaroslaw Lukasik were both detained. Pastor Bokun was accused of "organizing and holding religious meetings without special approval." He was held overnight and fined. Lukasik was also accused of illegal involvement in the service, but He was released a few hours later after a visit by Polish diplomats.

CSW says Lukasik was subsequently fined and ordered to leave Belarus by June 7. He will be banned from re-entering the country for the next 5 years, even though he has lived there since 1999 and his wife and children are Belarusian nationals.

A Citizenship and Migration Department official told the news agency, Forum 18, that Lukasik’s deportation was the result of "repeated violations of the regime governing the presence of foreigners on the territory of Belarus." However, Belarusian Christians believe that he has been targeted because of his religious activities.

In a public appeal to the Citizenship and Migration Department for Interior Affairs and to the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko, more than 40 religious leaders requested that the deportation order be rescinded, CSW reported.

The persecution and human rights watchdog organization also said that in an open statement to Minsk City Police Department on May 29, Sergei Khomich, the bishop of the Pentecostal Union, emphasized that the police raid and subsequent detentions indicate the need for legislation on religious activities to be revised.

CSW also said the rally on Sunday has been organized by evangelical Christians and will take place in the largest Protestant church in the capital city, Grace Church.

In addition to an appeal on Lukasik’s behalf, participants at Sunday’s meetings will also be calling for increased religious freedom, including the right for registered religious organizations to hold meetings in residential premises and the right to register certain buildings as designated for religious activity. During the meeting, the group also plans to adopt and publish an open statement to President Lukashenko.

On May 8, Mr. Lukasik’s permanent residence permit was annulled because of what government officials called "activities aimed at harming the national security of the Republic of Belarus in the sphere of inter-confessional relations”. An international campaign is underway to prevent his deportation and the Protestant leaders in Belarus have expressed their hope that "the principle of the presumption of innocence will continue to be the foundation of Belarusian legal norms, and the accusations against Jaroslaw Lukasik will remain groundless in the absence of a court ruling."

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s National Director, Stuart Windsor, said : "We are deeply concerned by the recent events in Belarus and fully support the Belarusian churches in their demand that their government respects religious liberty and ceases its harassment of church leaders and worshippers. We call on the international community and on the European Union, in particular, to strongly discourage the Belarusian authorities from deporting Mr. Lukasik, and to condemn the recent church raids and arrests."

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

Photographs of the church raid and of Lukasik and his family are available from CSW. For more information, please contact Penny Hollings, Campaigns and Media Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045, email pennyhollings@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.