Скриншот видео МВД
The Interior Ministry has published a statement regarding the detention of a Lithuanian citizen in Pastavy District.
The story was previously reported by the local newspaper Pastauski Krai. According to the publication, the Lithuanian citizen intended to officially register a religious community with the Pastavy District Executive Committee, but a working group of the executive committee identified what it described as “signs of forgery” in the submitted documents and rejected the application. He was subsequently detained.
A statement by Siarhei Losich, deputy head of the public security police department of the Vitsyebsk Regional Executive Committee’s Internal Affairs Directorate, used considerably harsher language. In it, the foreign citizen was described as a fake priest.
“Officers of the Pastavy District Department of Internal Affairs detained a 52-year-old fake priest from Lithuania. As a citizen of that country, the man came to Belarus, bought a house and began using an internet messenger to call on people to attend Old Believer religious services.
He organized these events at his place of residence in one of the villages of Pastavy District while collecting donations from his flock. He had neither the appropriate education nor permission from the district executive committee to conduct mass religious events,” Losich said.
According to him, the Lithuanian citizen faces expulsion from Belarus for violating regulations governing the organization or conduct of mass events. At the same time, the Interior Ministry’s video shows a deportation entry being made in a document.
“Belarus is open to foreign visitors. At the same time, any violations of the law on their part will not go unnoticed by law enforcement agencies. Work in this area will continue,” he added.