RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Government officials harass Pentecostals in Tatar region, among others

CHURCH OF KhVE FINED AND DENIED USE OF BUILDING IN NABEREZHNYE CHELNY

SOVA Center for News and Analysis, 5 December 2017

 

In November a court fined the "Dom Evangeliia" ["House of the Gospel"] Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith [KhVE] because several years ago it moved a fence from a church under construction so that a crane could get by. In December, a court forbade use of the temporary church building.

 

On 26 October 2017 the prosecutor's office of Naberezhnye Chelny sent to a court a lawsuit for prohibiting the use of a temporary building of the "Dom Evangeliia" church of Christians of Evangelical Faith until they eliminated violations of legislation on combating terrorism.

 

On 1 December the Naberezhnye Chelny city court granted the suit.

 

This was preceded by a scheduled inspection conducted by the anti-terrorism commission of the city. On the basis of the inspection, the church was required to file a security certification, since the building was recognized as a venue for mass occupancy (more than 50 persons). According to the deputy of the presiding bishop of the Russian Church of KhVE, Vasily Evchik, before the time when the prosecutor's office went to court, the church had removed all violations found in the inspection, concerning which it informed the appropriate bodies.

 

In November, a court granted the lawsuit of the city's land committee and fined the church 100,000 rubles because the church moved the fence enclosing the construction site. This happened several years ago, and since then the authorities have not presented any complaints. At the same time, the church filed a request for using the additional land space during construction, since otherwise it would be impossible to move the crane.

 

The local publication "Chelny-biz" notes that this same scheme, with fines and prohibition of use of a building because of violations that were suddenly discovered, has already been used in Naberezhnye Chelny with respect to Scientologists and Jehovah's Witnesses.


We recall that previously a court liquidated the centralized organization "Union of Churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith of the Republic of Tatarstan."

(tr. by PDS, posted 5 December 2017)


COURT LIQUIDATES UNION OF CHURCHES OF CHRISTIANS OF EVANGELICAL FAITH OF REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

SOVA Center for News and Analysis, 4 December 2017

 

In October, a court in Naberezhnye Chelny liquidated the "Union of Churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith of the Republic of Tatarstan," without informing the organization of it. Having arrived without warning and seeing a lock on the building's doors, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit for the liquidation of the organizations as inactive.

 

On 1 December 2017 it was reported that the Naberezhnye Chelny city court back on 14 October liquidated the centralized religious organization "Union of Churches of Christians of Evangelical Faith of the Republic of Tatarstan" and eliminated it from the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities.

 

The city prosecutor's office sent to the court a lawsuit for liquidation of the organization, after conducting an inspection of the activity of the religious organization. In July, personnel of the prosecutor's office along with a senior specialist for affairs of noncommercial organizations of the Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Justice for the republic of Tatarstan arrived at the church's building where they discovered a lock on the doors. On the basis of this the prosecutor's office came to the conclusion that the organization was not conducting its activity and it turned to the court. At the same time, worship services were being conducted and the organization regularly submitted accounts in accordance with established requirements. The movement of money in bank accounts of the organization also could have been easily tracked.

 

The court reviewed the lawsuit without informing the defendant in the absence of its representatives. Representatives of the church learned about the liquidation of the organization when they filed a regular accounting in the Retirement Fund. The deadline for appeal has already expired at this time and on 28 November the judicial decision took effect. (tr. by PDS, posted 5 December 2017)


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