Don and Ruth Ossewaarde
By Mark Woods
Christian News TodayThe first known victims of Russia's new anti-evangelism laws have been convicted and fined, according to the Forum 18 news service.
Two individuals, one a US citizen and one Ghanaian, have been heavily fined. A Russian citizen, Aleksandr Yakimov, leader of the New Generation Pentecostal community in Mari-Turek, is due in court on August 29.
An earlier case brought against a Hare Krishna devotee resulted in the acquittal of the accused, Vadim Sibiryev.
The legislation was passed by the government of Vladimir Putin to fierce international protests from campaigners who said it was a draconian attempt to stifle religious expression under the guise of clamping down on terrorism. Putin signed it into law on July 6 and Sibiryev was tried on July 28.
In Oryol, about 360 km south-west of Moscow, Baptist preacher Donald Ossewaarde, a US citizen, was fined 40,000 rubles for holding religious services in his home and advertising them on the bulletin boards of nearby housing blocks.
Ossewaarde, who has documented his case extensively on his website, was arrested in his home where policemen came to establish that a group was meeting with him for prayer and Bible reading, which they said was illegal. In court, he was accused of posting notices in public places, inviting anyone interested in studying the Scriptures to turn him for help. The Court also ruled that he failed to give the authorities written notification when he began his religious group activities.
According to Ossewaarde, the court refused to allow time for his lawyers to come from Moscow for the initial hearing, and then provided a lawyer for him. In a "confidential conversation" after the hearing, this court appointed lawyer advised him to accept the verdict and pay the fine without appeal. He then said that it would be better for the American to leave the city, because anything might happen to him and his family. Ossewaarde's family has returned to the US but he has stayed to appeal his case.
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