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From: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: persecuted Christians
Message-ID: <239@cylixd.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Aug-85 10:51:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: cylixd.239
Posted: Fri Aug 30 10:51:59 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 16:28:24 EDT
Reply-To: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips)
Organization: RCA Cylix Communications , Memphis, TN
Lines: 83

Thanks to all who responded to my posting about persecuted Christians.
Forgive me for not responding personally.  The volume wasn't that high,
but I couldn't get through to all of you.

Three of the best sources of information on persecuted Christians are:

Christian Response International
Suite N-602, 12000 Old Georgetown Rd.
Rockville, MD   20850

CREED
117 Prince Street
Alexandria, PA  22314

International Representation
P. O. Box 1188
Elkhart, IN  46515

Christian Response International publishes a newsletter every other
month, with occassional updates in between.  It is affiliated with
Christian Solidarity International - Zurich.

CREED publishes, irregularly, a "Priority Case List" which gives
biographical information, addresses, and the like on some of the most
severely persecuted Christians.  

International Representation, founded by a Soviet Baptist emigre, works
exclusively on behalf of Soviet Baptists.  Their quarterly Prisoners
Bulletin provides biographical information and addresses for Soviet
Baptists in prison.

For those who asked, when you write a Christian prisoner, write in
English if you are not fluent in their language.  If the person can't
read English, he will most likely be able to get it translated.  Write
legibly, but do not type.  (Typewritten letters may be perceived as an
"official communication" and confiscated.)  

Your letter doesn't need to be long.  *Never* say anything that can be
construed as political.  Do not praise our system, or criticize theirs
in any way.  Talk about your family, your church, your friends.  Write
as often as you can.  

If you get CREED's Priority Case List or the Prisoners Bulletin, you may
want to "adopt" one or two prisoners.  Write them regularly.  Send
greeting cards.  Pray for them.  Encourage others you know to do the
same.

An overseas letter takes 44 cents postage.  (If the letter is going
to the Soviet Union, write "Soviet Union" in the address, not U.S.S.R.
Our own post office doesn't know where U.S.S.R. is, and they'll return 
the letter!)

You may want to write Valeri Barinov.  He is a Christian rock musician
from Leningrad, the leader of the group "The Trumpet Call".  In October
1983, he was arrested and held in a psychiatric hospital in Leningrad,
where he was "treated" with powerful drugs used for severe mental
disorders.  (Amnesty International has documented the abuse of
psychiatry in the Soviet Union - their report on the subject would make
your blood run cold.)  Valeri was released when news of his arrest and
torture made it to the West.  He was re-arrested in March 1984 for
allegedly attempting to cross the Soviet border, and held in Leningrad's
Psychiatric Hospital #5 before being transferred to KGB headquarters.  
He was tried and convicted in November 1984, and was sentenced to 2 1/2
years in an ordinary regime prison camp.  Five days after his trial,
Valeri had a heart attack, and was denied medical attention.   He has
at least partially recovered.  He has a wife and two daughters.

His camp address:  Valeri Barinov
		   169418 Komi ASSR
		   g. Ukhta
		   pos. Nizhni Domanik
		   uchr. OS-34/27-4
		   Soviet Union

His wife:	Tatyana Barinova
		Leningrad
		pr. Khudozhnikov 9/2/74
		Soviet Union


Again, thanks to all who are interested.

		charli