SOURCE: KESTON INSTITUTE <http://www.keston.org>

Morning.

KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK ______________________________________

KESTON NEWS SERVICE, 11.00, 2 October 2002. Reporting on violations of religious liberty and on religion in communist and post-communist lands. ______________________________________

Belarus's parliament has this morning adopted the most repressive religion law in Europe, so this exceptionally grave news is being sent to our entire distribution list .A full report will follow in Keston News Service this evening.

BELARUS: EUROPE'S MOST REPRESSIVE RELIGION LAW ADOPTED

by Felix Corley, Keston News Service

Keston News Service has learnt that the upper house of the Belarusian parliament has today (2 October) adopted the amendments to the country's religion law. According to sources in Minsk, the revised religion law was adopted in the Council of the Republic this morning with 46 votes in favour, 2 against and 4 abstentions. The bill now goes to President Aleksandr Lukashenko for signature into law.

If signed by the president, the new law would outlaw unregistered religious activity, require compulsory prior censorship for all religious literature; ban foreign citizens from leading religious organisations; publishing and education would be restricted to faiths that have ten registered communities, including at least one that had registration in 1982; and there would be a ban on all but occasional, small religious meetings in private homes.

A full report will follow in Keston News Service this evening.

MEDIA ADVISORY Keston News Service is closely monitoring the revised Belarusian religion law. All requests for interviews should be addressed to Keston News Service's editor Felix Corley: Tel.: + 44 (0)208 290 49 97 E-mail:

Copyright (c) 2002 Keston Institute. All rights reserved.

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