LEADER OF ASTRAKHAN SCIENTOLOGISTS FINED FOR MISSIONARY ACTIVITY ON ARTICLE FROM "YAROVAYA PACKAGE"
Portal-credo.ru, 9 November 2016
The leader of Astrakhan Scientologists was found guilty of violation of the law on the basis of part 4 of article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of the RF—conducting missionary activity with a violation of the requirements of legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religious confession and on religious associations-- Interfax reported on 9 November.
Yesterday, 8 November, a magistrate's court in Kirov district of Astrakhan imposed on a local woman resident a fine of the order of 5,000 rubles. The Astrakhan citizen described how she has been preaching more than ten years.
According to an assistant prosecutor of the Kirov district of Astrakhan, Elena Lidzhi-Goryaeva, the 52-year-old woman created a group of the Church of Scientologists, whose members in September set up a tent in a shopping center "Vastorg." There they explained the teachings of Ron Hubbard to all who were interested. The prosecutor's office considers that in this way the advocates of the church were drawing people into their congregation.
At the same time, the religious association is not officially registered, while the amendments introduced by the "Yarovaya Package" permit only registered organizations or persons authorized for this to engage in evangelism within specially appointed premises.
Also the oversight agency noted that the resident of Astrakhan, along with her adherents, organized the "Volga Good-Will Tour" to several cities. For example, she visited Volgograd and Saratov, where she also distributed information about the works of Hubbard.
Previously, a protestant pastor in Kemerovo and the archbishop of the Reformed Orthodox Church of Christ the Savior in St Petersburg were fined for evangelism with violations of the requirements of legislation. (tr. by PDS, posted 9 November 2016)
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