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The court took a decision to impose huge penalties on the church

On July 29 The Economic court met the claim from the Minsk Natural Resources and Environmental Preservation committee to impose huge penalties on the New Life Church in favour of the state, reports New Life church Information Center. In the bill of complaint ecologists blamed the believers for polluting the territory on which the church is situated by mineral oil. Now the New Life Church is obliged to pay over 257 million rubles (85.000 USD) to the state budget, including 249 million to cover the damages allegedly done to the nature and over 8 million to be paid in order to compensate the claim fees previously covered by the Nature Protection Department. Besides, the church has to pay a 9 million (3.000 USD) fine due to the decision of the Moscow district court of Minsk according to which the church was convicted of polluting environment by oil. (According to the news portal www.tut.by)

We would remind you that in November 2009 ecology officials allegedly took soil samples near the church building. At the same time neither church representatives nor other independent parties were called to be present during those check-ups.

The court would not take into consideration the arguments put forward by the church lawyer that previously the land was under rigorous use by a state farm and, later, for a considerable period the site presented an unauthorized scrap yard of industrial waste and contained used cars engines and carcasses. Moreover, during the court hearing the ecologists stated that according to their vision of the legislation a land user is to answer for any law violations that take place on their land even if there is no guilt on their part whatsoever.

The church lawyer Sergey Lukanin pointed out to the wrong position and actions on the part of the ecologists but the judge Oleg Klyuiko found their claims lawful.

S. Lukanin said: “When the judge gave me the floor I first presented our legislative position and later I added that regardless of the outcome the believers in our church would continue praying for and blessing the authorities and asking for mercy from the Lord for those who willingly or unwillingly came against the church of God”.

According to the legislation it is possible to appeal against this decision at the appeals instance of the Minsk Economic Court but in order to do this the believers have to pay a fee of over 4 million rubles.

Interestingly, last week Brest region Attorney published a report on penalties infringed for various ecological violations. According to the above during the past 7 months of this year 281 juridical entities as well as individuals have been held liable for ecological violations and the total amount of financial sanctions came up to 88 million rubles.

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TAGS: Belarus New Life church The Economic court penalties mineral oil Sergey Lukanin persecution

[08/23/2010]

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