Minsk, Jan. 11, 2008 (Forum 18/CWNews.com) - "Just like in any other country," a local official in Belarus told the Forum 18 news service, "all religious organizations must be registered in order to have the right to function."

In defiance of international human rights standards, Belarus is the only country in Europe requiring religious organizations to gain state registration before they engage in religious activity.?? Unregistered religious activity is prohibited by the restrictive 2002 Religion Law, while leadership of an unregistered religious organization is an offence under the country's Administrative Violations Code.

The religious-affairs official in the western city of Grodno -- who declined to identify himself-- defended the imposition of a fine upon a Baptist minister who had organized a local festival, explaining that the congregation was not properly registered. Asked why registration was needed, he remarked that this was not a question for him. "I don't write the laws, I just implement them," he explained to Forum 18.

[For a more detailed report see the Forum 18 web site.]