Feb 22, 2019
Ukraine
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Anti-Missionary Prosecutions Spike in Crimea
A recent story in the news source Forum 18 documented an increase in the number of anti-missionary prosecutions in the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in March 2014 shortly after the Ukraine crisis broke out. The article says the number of prosecutions nearly doubled in 2018, and affected a variety of religious groups including Russian Orthodox, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, and Muslim. The offenses included failing to have proper signs on buildings to conducting missionary activity, and actions taken ranged from warnings to fines. Of 23 prosecutions for sharing faith or holding worship at unapproved venues, 19 ended in some kind of punishment.
As Crimea is effectively under Russian law now, these prosecutions are taking place using the 2016 “Yarovaya” anti-missionary law that has had sporadic enforcement across Russia proper. Human Rights groups say that the prosecutions violate religious freedom rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Please pray with us for our brothers and sisters who are encountering these difficulties, asking the Lord to take what the enemy means for harm and bring new Gospel opportunities out of it for His people.