RESIDENT OF BELGOROD OBLAST BROUGHT TO ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR DISTRIBUTING BIBLES IN SHOPPING CENTER
On 8 April 2021, a judge of judicial district No. 3 of Belgorod district ordered to find A.A. Sheremetov guilty of committing an administrative violation of law specified in part 4 of article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of the R.F.
In the judicial session, Sheremetov said that he is a Baptist, he is not a member of a religious organization, he did not engage in missionary activity, he did not have permission, and he was acting in accordance with article 28 of the Russian constitution and was simply giving to people a printed edition of the Bible and discussing it. He explained that some friends came to visit him and they organized an exhibit of religious literature in the Sputnik shopping center.
The court did not agree with the arguments and assigned a fine of 5,000 rubles. The judge acknowledged that the condition of his health, namely he has a third degree disability, was a mitigating circumstance. (tr. by PDS, posted 15 May 2021)
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