Belarusian state security raided the Pentecost Sunday service at John the Baptist Pentecostal Church in Minsk, despite the fact that the church is registered with the government.  The church was repeatedly denied permission to rent a facility, so the congregation meets at the home of Pastor Antoni Bokun.  The pastor was arrested and held overnight, and church member Jaroslaw Lukasik taken into custody for several hours.

On 28 May, the day following the arrests, Pastor Bokun was fined the equivalent of C$313, about twenty times the minimum monthly wage, for holding an "unsanctioned mass meeting".

Under the 2003 Demonstrations Law, all public events require the advance permission of the local state authorities. Under the restrictive 2002 Religion Law, religious events outside designated places of worship – even in the home – may take place only after a corresponding decision by the local authorities.

Authorities registered the church but, by refusing it permission to rent premises, forced it to meet illegally in someone’s home.  The congregation was legally registered but cannot meet legally.  Catch-22!

On 30 May, Mr Lukasik, a Polish citizen married to a Belarusian, was fined about C$15 for engaging in “illegal religious activity” and handed a second deportation order.  He was given eight days to leave the country and barred from re-entering for at least five years.

Lukasik believes the purpose of the raid was to prosecute him further after his public refutation of a 8 May order under which he must return to his native Poland by 8 June.

He and his wife have three children, all of whom are Belarusian citizens.

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