New Fines and Pressure on Unregistered Baptists

(Forum 18) – At least five churches of the International Council of Evangelical Christians/Baptists, who refuse on principle to register with the state authorities, have suffered raids or fines this year, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. In the latest case, Pastor Vasili Kliver was fined 14 US dollars on 7 June in the town of Aktobe . The judge also ordered the church to close for six months. Fined the same amount in May in the town of Taraz , Pastor Pyotr Panafidin argued in court that neither the constitution nor the religion law makes registration compulsory. Jehovah’s Witnesses, who in earlier years faced similar fines after some of their congregations were denied registration, told Forum 18 the problem has been resolved.