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In 2002, the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus, purchased a cowshed on the outskirts of the city in order to convert the building into a suitable place of worship for the congregation of 600 members. Since that time, the government's religious affairs department has opposed their use of the building. For more than 18 years, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has been following the plight of this church, calling for prayer as the believers continually sought to find ways to meet for services in the face of opposition.

On June 1st, a musical group of Baptist believers arranged a performance on the streets of Drogichin in southwestern Belarus. In addition to providing uplifting music, the Christians shared their faith with those who passed by. One of the evangelists, Vladimir Burshtyn, is a Christian man in his early 70s. He travelled 110 kilometres from his home in order to participate in the meeting.

A court in Minsk has fined seven young Christians the equivalent of two months' average wages each. The charges were laid against the believers as punishment for talking to others about the meaning of Easter on April 15th, the day before Orthodox Easter Sunday.

On September 15th, the Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on renewed threats against the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus (read more). The church building was sealed by governing authorities in February 2021, and since then its members have met weekly in the facility's parking lot.

A recent report from Forum18 has provided updates on two situations currently affecting churches in Belarus. In both cases, ongoing pressures from governing officials could potentially mean the churches would lose their legal status to operate.

If the parliament of Belarus approves a draft law, individual citizens will be stripped of the legal privilege to issue justifiable complaints to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee about violations of their rights. The country's Deputy Foreign Minister, Igor Nazaruk, alleges that there has been an "arbitrary expansion" of the committee's powers, which is presently being addressed. However, human rights groups see this proposed law as a way of closing one of the last remaining opportunities for Belarusians to seek justice.

In October 2021, the Living Faith Church in Gomel, Belarus, was in need of a place to perform baptisms. Without the necessary facilities, the registered congregation gathered at a local river to hold the service. However, the law states that no religious activities are permitted to take place outside the approved facilities without prior authorization from the state. At the time, Pastor Dmitry Podlobko received an official warning, along with a fine.

Since purchasing a former cowshed in 2002 and converting it into a church building, the New Life Church in Minsk, Belarus, has faced opposition from government agencies. After years of court battles, officials accompanied by bailiffs forcefully entered the place of worship on February 17th, 2021, evicting church members from the building. For more information on the eviction, including a video clip, go to this report.

In the previous week's Persecution & Prayer Alert, it was reported that Maria, the wife of a ministry training centre director, was suddenly arrested in Belarus on July 9th for unknown reasons. We are pleased to announce that shortly after the published report, Maria was released from custody.

Ivan and his wife Maria lead a ministry training centre in Belarus. On July 9th, Maria was suddenly arrested after government agents travelling in black vans arrived at their home and took her away. At last report, no formal charges have been laid, and her husband and children do not know her location.