Brussels, Belgium - A petition signed by 50,400 Belarusians and calling for the revision of a 2002 law restricting religious freedom will be presented to Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament at 3pm today (27 May).
At the same time a separate petition calling on the European Union to take action on the issue and signed by Roger Kiska, Legal Counsel of the European Centre for Law and Justice, will be submitted to the European Parliament.
Stuart Windsor, National Director of the human rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) said: “Sadly, little appears to have changed in Belarus in relation to religious freedom since the days of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, we are inspired by this initiative by Belarusian Christians, who have come together across denominational lines to demand that their right to worship freely be respected.
“We call on the European Union to respond to their call with decisive action, and ask that the EU make religious freedom in Belarus a priority in their relations with that country.”