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Amidst the ongoing oppression of Christians in Belarus, an organization was established in 2020, bringing together leaders from multiple churches in an effort to monitor and publicize persecution in the country. The organization was registered in neighbouring Lithuania as "Christian Vision for Belarus."
On April 1st, the Belarusian KGB secret police ruled that Christian Vision for Belarus was "extremist," and therefore banned the organization's website and social media platforms. In the process, the KGB specifically identified three of the leaders – Natallia Vasilevich, Natallia Harkovich and Dzmitry Korneyenko – all of whom are Orthodox Christians presently residing outside of Belarus. In addition, the government's Interior Ministry department added the name of the organization to its "banned list" on April 8th.
The day after the official listing, police in the town of Orsha visited Viktor Korneyenko, the father of Dzmitry. Confused about what was happening, Viktor did not ask any questions when a DNA sample was demanded of him. On April 10th, the police then visited Dzmitry's mother-in-law in Vitebsk. Later on, Dzmitry's brother, who was contacted on April 23rd, also received an order to provide a DNA sample. When the brother asked the police why, he was told that the results would make it easier for them to hunt Dzmitry.
Christian Vision for Belarus is not the only organization that's been identified as "extremist." Other organizations include The Democratic Media Institute, which supports independent media in the region; and the independent Catholic news website, katolik.life. For many years, The New Life Full Gospel Church in Minsk experienced repeated harassment from governing officials before being officially closed and receiving the same "extremist" label. Previously published reports addressing the persecution in Belarus are available at our country profile.
- Pray for the protection of those who are seeking to promote justice and truth in Belarus, asking that their expressed concerns will not be overlooked by the authorities but rather given due consideration.
- In the meantime, may the Holy Spirit continue to guide those who are sharing the message of God's salvation through Christ, blessing and multiplying their efforts to minister to the spiritual needs of fellow citizens.
- May the Lord also work mightily in the lives of the country's political leaders by opening their spiritual eyes of understanding, as well as their hearts, to His truths.
