{"id":44064,"date":"2022-10-04T14:00:11","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T05:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=44064"},"modified":"2022-10-04T10:39:21","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T01:39:21","slug":"vomk-report-223","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/10\/04\/vomk-report-223\/","title":{"rendered":"CRIMEA: CHURCH LEADER AND 2 MINISTERS FINED FOR PRIVATE WORSHIP SERVICE"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44055″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”On August 16, a judge in the city of Saky in Crimea fined an unregistered Baptist church leader and two ministers for illegal missionary activity related to worship activities held in a private residence. According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley, the ruling raises questions about government-imposed definitions of \u201creligious group\u201d and \u201cmissionary activity\u201d and how those definitions may be used to prosecute Christians in other areas under Russian Federation control. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]According to <\/span>Representative <\/span>Foley, Mr. <\/span>Gerasimenko <\/span>and two ministers<\/span>, <\/span>Shokh<\/span>a<\/span> P.L. and <\/span>Shokh<\/span>a<\/span> L.P.<\/span>, were each fined <\/span>5,000 rubles (approx. 115,000 KRW) for <\/span>implementation of missionary activities in <\/span>alleged <\/span>violation of <\/span>Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses<\/span> of the Russian Federation. <\/span>On July 27, <\/span>Mr.<\/span> Gerasimenko <\/span>had also been fined <\/span>300 rubles (<\/span>approx. 7,000 KRW<\/span>)<\/span> for<\/span> failing to<\/span> submit a written notice of the beginning of the activities of a religious group<\/span>, <\/span>in <\/span>alleged <\/span>violation of <\/span>Article 19.7 of the <\/span>same code.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]All three have appealed the judgments against them.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”44063″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe case is concerning<\/span> for several reasons<\/span>,\u201d says <\/span>Representative <\/span>Foley. \u201c<\/span>First, <\/span>the church has been in operation for 65 years. Second, <\/span>authorities used a definition of \u2018religious group\u2019 which violates the Christian beliefs of the defendants. <\/span>And third<\/span>, <\/span>authorities claimed that a private <\/span>religious gathering <\/span>service held in a private <\/span>residence<\/span> constitutes missionary activity. <\/span>It\u2019s a situation where authorities imposed their own <\/span>anti-Christian <\/span>definitions on<\/span>to<\/span> Christian <\/span>activities and then found the defendants guilty of activities which <\/span>violate the defendants\u2019 <\/span>own <\/span>long-time, <\/span>dearly<\/span> held beliefs.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, Voice of the Martyrs Korea <\/span>received <\/span>reports that o<\/span>n <\/span>Sunday morning <\/span>June 5, 2022, representatives of the prosecutor’s office, the police<\/span>,<\/span> and the <\/span>Russian Federal Security Service (<\/span>FSB<\/span>)<\/span> came to the <\/span>house <\/span>of <\/span>prayer of <\/span>an u<\/span>nregistered Baptist <\/span>in <\/span>Sak<\/span>y<\/span> where believers were worshiping<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Eyewitnesses say the<\/span> authorities <\/span>took pictures of those who preached and those <\/span>who were <\/span>present<\/span>,\u201d says <\/span>Representative <\/span>Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201cAt<\/span> the end of the service, the authorities <\/span>questioned <\/span>some of the brothers. Several times they asked<\/span>, \u2018<\/span>Where is Gerasimenko Sergey Fedorovich?<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]On June 15, the prosecutor’s office initiate<\/span>d<\/span> two cases against <\/span>Mr. <\/span>Gerasimenko<\/span>, one for failure to register a religious group and one for illegal missionary activities. <\/span>Then on June 20, two ministers were also charged with illegal missionary activities<\/span> in connection with Mr. Gerasimenko<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44065″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The Church in Saky has been in operation for 65 years. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On July 27, 2022, <\/span>Mr. Gerasimenko was found guilty and fined for failing to register <\/span>a religious group. <\/span>In a copy of his complaint received by Voice of the Martyrs Korea, Mr. Gerasimenko objected to the charge. H<\/span>is complaint says<\/span>, \u201c<\/span>My fellow believers never made any oral or written decisions to create a religious group and give it any name. The indicated persons also did not authorize me orally or in writing to notify the Office of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation about the beginning of the activities of a religious group, as this contradicts their and my beliefs as a Christian. My fellow believers also did not provide me with written consent to the processing and provision of their personal data like their full names, place of residence and their religious beliefs<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]On August 16, 2022, <\/span>the three defendants were found guilty and fined for illegal missionary activity<\/span>.<\/span> \u201cThey <\/span>said that s<\/span>ermons are for the edification of believers, not the conversion of unbelievers<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cIt is a position that is rooted in the earliest Protestant tradition<\/span>: sermons are not missionary activity<\/span>.\u201d She says the defendants <\/span>are basing their appeal on <\/span>A<\/span>rticle 7 (part 1) of Federal Law <\/span>125 of September 26, 1997<\/span>,<\/span> \u201cOn Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations\u201d<\/span>, which allows <\/span>worship to be <\/span>legally <\/span>held in premises that can be provided for these needs by the members of a religious group. <\/span>\u201cThey are also noting that legally<\/span>,<\/span> worship <\/span>does not <\/span>automatically qualify as missionary activity.<\/span>\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea is monitoring the appeal <\/span>closely. \u201c<\/span>Requiring unregistered groups to register is a <\/span>major <\/span>theological issue<\/span> for them<\/span>, not <\/span>just <\/span>an administrative <\/span>matter<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>And all churches become vulnerable to prosecution if regular worship services are legally regarded as missionary activities.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44058″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The Church in Saky.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Voice of the Martyrs Korea operates \u201c<\/span>\u0413\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0441<\/span> \u041c\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432<\/span> \u2013 <\/span>\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u044f<\/span>\u201d, a Russian language edition of its popular Facebook page on Christian persecution.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In addition, <\/span>Representative Foley says that Voice of the Martyrs Korea is providing emergency assistance to local church congregations and individual Christians who are continuing to engage in faithful witness during the present Russia\/Ukraine conflict. Donations can be made to the organization\u2019s Ukraine Emergency Fund at <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/donation<\/span><\/span><\/a> or via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uad6d\ubbfc\uc740\ud589<\/span> (KB Bank) 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\uc608\uae08\uc8fc<\/span> (Account Holder): (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please include the phrase \u201cUkraine\u201d with the donation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44055″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”On August 16, a judge in the city of Saky in Crimea fined an unregistered Baptist church leader and two ministers for illegal missionary activity related to …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":44056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}