COURT IN
TATARSTAN UPHOLDS
DECISION FINDING STATEMENTS BY LEADER OF SOCIETY OF RUSSIAN
CULTURE ABOUT
PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS TO BE EXTREMIST
by
Regina Khisamova
During
the
"self-isolation phase" in Tatarstan, Mikhail Shcheglov sent to
the
president of Tatarstan a request to permit Orthodox residents of
the republic
to attend churches during the religious holidays.
The
Supreme Court of
Tatarstan left in force the original decision about a fine of
10,000 rubles of
the leader of the Society of Russian Culture, Mikhail Shcheglov,
for statements
about "persecution of Christians." They had previously been
ruled to
be "extremist." Idel.Realii was told about this by the activist
himself.
"This is
a
far-fetched decision, a far-fetched expert analysis," Mikhail
Shcheglov
thinks. "This is clearly connected with my lawsuit against
Ilyshat Aminov
(the director general of TNV [New Age Television and Radio Co.];
in December
2019 the prosecutor's office of Kazan found violations of the
law in Aminov's
words about 'home-grown narrow minded ignoramuses,' who oppose
teaching the
Tatar language, after which Shcheglov filed a lawsuit in
court—Idel.Realii), on
the basis of a civil suit concerning demeaning of honor and
dignity. Because
his broadcast in November of last year was outrageous. There is
an expert
conclusion regarding this. I will sue him in civil court. I did
not want to
pedal this topic, because I understood that because of this the
publication
Tatmedia would start shooting at me with all guns blazing.
Nevertheless, he
made a disproportionate step; he took and wrote a denunciation
of me."
In the
spring of this
year, during the "self-isolation phase" in Tatarstan, Mikhail
Shcheglov sent to President Rustam Minnikhanov a request to
permit Orthodox
residents of the republic attend churches during religious
holidays. He wrote
that as of 14 April, only 107 cases of infection had been
registered in
Tatarstan and there was not one fatality. The social activist
called the
situation regarding closure of churches on Easter "persecution
of
Christians."
"Well
anyhow,
under current conditions a ban on attending Orthodox churches in
the republic
of Tatarstan does not seem to be concern for the health of
people but some form
of fighting God and of new persecutions of Christians. And this
is profoundly
symbolic for a 'national' republic with a definite clear
demographic tilt that
is not by any means in Orthodox believers' favor," he is sure.
The
leader of the
Azatlik Union of Tatar Youth, Nail Nabiullin, thinks these
statements by
Shcheglov are "dangerous," since some citizens may want, after
reading these posts, to go to church for the holiday. And in the
mass gathering
of people they will become infected with the coronavirus. He
sent a statement
to the office of prosecutor indicating that in this case there
may be found
evidence of law violations on the basis of articles 6.3 and 20.6
of the Code of
Administrative Violations of Law of the RF ('Incitement of
hatred or strife as
well as demeaning of human dignity')."
The
prosecutor's
office sent Mikhail Shcheglov's statements for expert analysis.
It was
conducted by the Kazan Inter-regional Center for Expert Analysis
(they win the
bids from Tatmedia and the Public Chamber and also participate
rather often in
preparation of forensic expert analysis in the context of
criminal cases of
extremism and terrorism). In the end they found extremism in the
activist's
words.
In late
August, the
Vakhitov district court of Kazan fined Shcheglov 10,000 rubles
on the basis of
article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law
of the RF.
In
Tatarstan,
attending churches and mosques was forbidden from 14 April.
Accordingly, it was
forbidden "for citizens to visit liturgical premises, buildings,
and
structures and the plots of land on which such buildings and
structures are
located, and also to participate in religious rituals and
ceremonies conducted
in said buildings and territories." Clergy themselves may attend
churches
and mosques. Rituals may be performed in accordance with all
religious canons,
but behind closed doors. (tr. by PDS, posted 29 August 2020)
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