Belarus: Christian-run Homeless Shelter Closed
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
MINSK, BELARUS (Worthy News)– A private homeless shelter run by a Christian in Belarus has been legally stripped of its license to operate, according to Barnabas Aid.
Back in December 2011, healthcare worker Aleksei Shchedrov turned his own home in Aleksandrovka into a shelter for the homeless. But last year, Shchedrov was charged with having an unregistered religious organization for simply having a prayer room at the shelter.
Shchedrov protested that he was running a charity and not a religious organization. After he registered his shelter as a social care institution in August, charges against him were dropped. But after a series of relentless inspections by local officials, the shelter lost its registration last month.
Shchedrov said that he was constantly being pressured by police as they tried to find violations in the three homes that comprised the shelter.
Today, Shchedrov is on his own as he continues to care for the shelter’s remaining residents.
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