BAILIFFS SEAL BAPTIST CHURCH BUILDING IN NOVOROSSIISK
In the village of Verkhnebakanskii of the city of Novorossiisk, a court closed the building in which worship services of the local Baptist church were held.
This was learned on 10 July. The reason for the closing, according to representatives of the court, was that the church conducted services in a private home, the Christian megaportal Invictory reports, with reference to Obzor.
The court prohibited the use of the house for religious purposes. At the same time, when leaving the site, bailiffs established that a religious event was being conducted there with more than twenty participants. As a result, the meeting of believers was interrupted and the building sealed. Representative of the church of Evangelical Christians-Baptists were handed an order about the implementation proceedings.
"According to current legislation and the requirements of anti-terrorism protection, places of mass gatherings of people must be equipped with a system of video surveillance, alarm and lighting, and have a security log," bailiffs explained to Obzor. "No such measures of security were found in the house of worship, which could lead to a threat to life and health of people."
The director of a Christian recreation base "Mountain Spring," Evgeny Kokora (Novorossiisk), wrote on his Facebook page that a number of television channels "broadcast false stories" about the church.
"Only yesterday I wrote about the falsehood of the story about Baptists on Novorossiisk television. Today a story came out, no less false, on the NTV channel," the minister noted. "Therefore I decided to describe everything as it really was. But, first, I will express my opinion that most likely, after the Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists are being considered to be extremists. The signature of the authorities is obvious and it is one and the same. But people should know the other side also."
In the posting he sketched the main points of the NTV story, in which the incorrect information was voiced.
This is not the first time when Baptists of
Novorossiisk
were subjected to oppression. On 7 April 2019 a group of
representatives of the
city administration, police, FSB, and cossacks burst into a
holiday worship
service of the Baptist church in the village of
Verkhnebakanskii. The siloviki
forbade filming, threatened the parishioners, and obstructed the
conduct of the
service. At the same time they did not explain their actions in
any way. (tr.
by PDS, posted 12 July 2019)
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