Pastor from Belarus sent an appeal to the President of Kazakhstan

Vyacheslav Goncharenko sent an appeal to the head of Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and to the Parliament of this country. Appeal expresses concern about the future of Christians in the Republic, experiencing open persecution for their religious beliefs, reports New Life church press-center.

Appeal is also based on the fact that in April of 2008 Parliament of Republic of Kazakhstan entertained new project of the law «About changes and amendments to the Kazakhstani legislation on freedom of belief and religious association». According to the estimates of the lawyers, project of the law contains great number of restrictions that go beyond the limits set by the Constitution of Republic of Kazakhstan and international standards. In particular, projected law will significantly restrict the rights of protestant believers. Even now hundreds of Christians in Kazakhstan are imprisoned for the reasons related to religion.

Because of that Bishop Vyacheslav Goncharenko on behalf of the Union of Full-Gospel Christians of Belarus is expressing support to the brothers in faith that live on the territory of Kazakhstan. He also appeals to the government of the country to «prevent the changes in the legislation of Republic of Kazakhstan on freedom of belief and religious association that will restrict the rights of different groups of believers in Kazakhstan».

In appeal there is also the wish expressed to «create the committee of representatives of different religious movements of Republic, lawyers and human rights activists with the purpose of forming the law on religion that will consider the rights of all believers in the country and would be in agreement with international legal acts».

[05/27/2008]

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