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Russia: Court Sentences Pastor Five Days
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News)-- Last month a court in the Russian city of Orel sentenced a pastor to five days in prison.
According to Barnabas Aid, Pastor Pavel Pilipchuk had refused to pay a fine for allegedly organizing an open-air meeting on Palm Sunday last year without notifying local authorities.
Although members of his congregation insisted that Pilipchuk was not present at the meeting, authorities rejected their testimonies and fined him 20,000 rubles (US$380) last August.
After Pilipchuk's appeal was rejected, his fine was doubled when he refused to pay it. Judge Inna Maltseva then sent Pilipchuk to prison for five days.
After completing his sentence, Pilipchuk's fine returned to the original penalty of 20,000 rubles, which the pastor intends to again appeal.
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