USCIRF Troubled by New Religion Law in Belarus

USCIRF Troubled by New Religion Law in Belarus

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlights a setback to religious freedom in Belarus. Yesterday, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka signed into law “On Amendments to Laws on the Activities of Religious Organizations,” which retains the most regressive provisions of the country’s 2002 religion law and imposes more undue restrictions on religious communities.

“Instead of repealing its highly restrictive religion law enacted over two decades ago, which did not meet international human rights standards, Belarusian officials have doubled down and implemented a more repressive religion law that grants the government unbridled control over religious communities and their affairs,” said USCIRF Chair Abraham Cooper. “Religious communities will face the daunting choice of practicing their religion or belief ‘illegally’ or submitting to a brutal regime that uses indiscriminate force and intimidation against its own people.”

Following the breakout of popular protests against the country’s fraudulent 2020 elections that kept President Lukashenka in power, authorities have sought to eliminate independent civil society and subjugate all aspects of social life to state control and surveillance. Belarus’ new religion law imposes strict, burdensome requirements on religious communities and includes vague prohibitions that will likely curtail the peaceful expression of religious beliefs. The law requires religious communities to reregister within a year, which is expected to result in the deregistration of dozens of small religious communities, as occurred after the enactment of the country’s 2002 religion law. Under the new religion law, unregistered religious activity will remain illegal, with punishments ranging from fines to up to three years’ imprisonment.

“In 2023, Belarusian authorities have bulldozed and liquidated the Pentecostal New Life Church, detained and fined dozens of Christian religious leaders for perceived political activities, and blacklisted human rights organizations working on religious freedom issues,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Frederick A. Davie. “The Biden administration and Congress must prioritize religious freedom as part of U.S. government efforts to hold Belarus accountable for its gross human rights violations.”

In its 2023 Annual Report, USCIRF highlighted the negative trajectory for religious freedom conditions in Belarus. USCIRF recently published a report examining the problematic provisions of the revised religion law and other religious freedom violations in Belarus. In November 2021, USCIRF also released a report that detailed the decline of religious freedom in Belarus following the government’s brutal crackdown on popular anti-government protests in 2020.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].