RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Ukrainian rebel areas crack down on protestants

ACTIVITY OF ILLEGAL RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION CUT OFF IN LPR

RIA Novosti, 7 October 2015

 

Personnel of the Ministry of State Security (MGB) of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) put an end to activity of the religious organization Christ is the Answer, which is not registered in LPR and, according to information of the agency, is financed from Ukraine, the USA, and Europe, the director of the Center for Public Relations of the MGB of LPR, Evgeniia Liubenko, reported on Wednesday.

 

"On 27 September of this year, a pastor of this organization was summoned to an inquiry during which it was established that, besides missionary activity, the director of the church consulted on a regular basis with representatives of OSCE concerning the situation in the city of Sverdlovsk (LPR—ed.)," Liubenko explained at a briefing.

 

Liubenko said that the pastor delivered to representatives of the mission information about the humanitarian situation in the region and alleged harassment of nontraditional religious confessions on the part of the authorities. The representative of the MGB declared that the organization had not been registered in the LPR and it was financed at the expense of contributions of believers from Ukraine, the USA, and Europe.

 

"At the present time the activity of the church has been suspended because of violation of the legislation of the LPR," Liubenko reported.

 

Investigative measures are being conducted with regard to Pastor Taras Sen.

 

In rallies in early April of last year, residents of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of Ukraine, who did not recognize the legitimacy of the February state revolution, proclaimed the creation of "people's republics." After referendums that were conducted in May, the republics announced their sovereignty and formed their own governmental bodies. Elections of the heads of the republics and deputies of the parliaments were held on 2 November in DPR and LPR. Kiev does not recognize the DPR and LPR. In April of last year, Ukrainian authorities began a military operation against the republics. According to the latest data of the UN, there have been more than 8,000 casualties of the conflict. (tr. by PDS, posted 7 October 2015)


Background articles:
Ukrainian rebels kidnap protestant clergyman
September 29, 2015
Kidnapped Ukrainian Pentecostal pastor set free
October 2, 2015
Ukrainian separatists threaten to drive protestants away
October 1, 2015
Ukrainian protestants harassed in rebel zone
September 28, 2015

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