B r y a n s k – A violent incident occurred recently in the course of an evangelistic week in the south-western Russian city of Klintsy (near Bryansk), during which police fractured the collarbone of a well-known believer. Involved was Vladimir Skovpen, the national Soviet cycling champion of 1980 who is active as a deacon in the Klintsy Baptist congregation. He also participated in the 15.000-kilometre international cycle tour last year from Germany to Vladivostok, on the Pacific Ocean. Skovpen was the sole rider who covered the entire distance on a bike.

The Russian Union reports that the Baptist congregation was holding a four-day series of evangelistic meetings entitled “Time to Believe”. In order to advertise the event, 35 participants in red t-shirts emblazoned with the motto had pedalled to the city square. There they distributed leaflets and sang. At the same time, an officially-sanctioned demonstration by the student organisation “Orthodox Block” was taking place on the square. It was directed against sects active in the city – above all the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Police took measures early on to prevent the possibility of both groups getting into conflict with each another. Baptist church pastor Evgeny Voronin was quickly arrested and taken to a police station for interrogation. A statement from that session accuses the pastor of leading an unregistered “procession”. Voronin denied the claim, stating that in Russia only large church meetings require official government permission.

Skovpen, who also intended to participate at the event on the city square, was confronted by the police after he arrived at the city square by bus. He is well-known in the city as a Baptist. Officers roughly pinned back both of his arms and hurried him off to the police station. It was reported that Skovpen attempted to make clear to the police that he had suffered a fractured collarbone last February. But they had grabbed him so tightly, that his shoulder throbbed with pain. Yet he was refused any medical attention during his two-hour stint at the police station. Following his release, doctors at the hospital noted that his collarbone had been broken afresh. Skovpen consequently filed a criminal complaint against the police.

Yuri Sipko (Moscow), President of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, sharply criticised the use of undue force saying, “That which has taken place at Klintsy leaves one simply aghast.”