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Belarus: Police raid private Christian gathering

By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) - Police raided a group of Christians gathered inside a private home in Gorki, Belarus on Dec. 22.

According to Barnabas Aid, the police accused Mikhail Shulgan of holding a meeting in his home without the permission of the state. A week later, both Shulgan and his wife Liliya were accused of "not using living premises for their designated purpose" despite the fact that Liliya was not even present during the raid.

My concern is that, in my own house, officials said we don't have the right to read the Bible together, said Shulgan.

Belarus strictly regulates Christian groups and requires all religious communities to register with the State. But groups that are politically out of favor can have problems obtaining official registrations, forcing them to meet in private homes; although these meetings are not prohibited in Belarus, there are restrictions on the number of participants who are allowed to attend and how often they can meet.