PROSECUTOR GENERAL PROPOSES IMPOSING BAN ON RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF EXTREMISM AND TERRORISM
Interfax-Religiia, 12 November 2015
The senior prosecutor of the department of the prosecutor general of the RF, Valentina Kaznacheeva, proposed banning citizens from professional involvement in religious activity who have previously been held criminally responsible for crimes and violations of law of an extremist and terrorist nature.
"We suggest that the introduction of a ban on the right for persons, who have a legal conviction or have been held administratively responsible for committing violations of law of an extremist or terrorist nature, to be a leader and also to be engaged in religious activity on a professional basis within a religious organization will facilitate a lowering of the level of radicalization of religious organizations," said V. Kaznacheeva on Thursday at a seminar in the Federation Council on issues of combating extremism and terrorism.
V. Kaznacheeva said that the imperfection of legal regulation leads to the fact that persons convicted of extremist and terroristic crimes are heading religious organizations and fulfilling functions of clergy.
The prosecutor also suggested to designate as socially oriented the activity of noncommercial organizations that participate in the prevention of extremism and terrorism. "Socially oriented activity is provided state support. This will stimulate noncommercial organizations to work in this direction," V. Kaznacheeva explained.
In addition, the representative of the prosecutor general proposed giving the right to prosecutors of constituent elements ["subjects"] of the RF to send directly to Roskomnadzor requests to block access to Internet resources that disseminate calls for extremist activity.
"The number of crimes of an extremist nature in Russia in just the first half of the present year has grown by 33%, and about 60% of illegal actions are committed by using the Internet web," V. Kaznacheeva reported. (tr. by PDS, posted 15 November 2015)
DESIRE TO BAN "EXTREMISTS" FROM RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
Bolshoi Gorod, 12 November 2015
Persons convicted of crimes of an "extremist and terrorist nature" should be prohibited from participating in religious organizations—this suggestion was put forward by the senior prosecutor of the department of the prosecutor general, Valentina Kaznacheeva, Interfax reports.
"We suggest that the introduction of a ban on the right for persons, who have a legal conviction or have been held administratively responsible for committing violations of law of an extremist or terrorist nature, to be a leader and also to be engaged in religious activity on a professional basis within a religious organization will facilitate a lowering of the level of radicalization of religious organizations," V. Kaznacheeva reported on Thursday, speaking at a seminar in the Federation Council on "combating extremism and terrorism."
Russian legislation already contains a similar rule: people found guilty of "extremism" and "terrorism" are forbidden to occupy offices in political organizations and to act as an organizer of rallies. The action of this rule specifically has affected the leader of the banned National Bolshevik Party, Eduard Limonov, and the leader of the National Democrats, Konstantin Krylov, who received 120 hours of compulsory labor for criticism of economic policy in the northern Caucasus. On 28 October, the nationalist Dmitry Demushkin was forbidden to participate in politics: his ethno-political association "Russians" also was banned by court decision.
One high-profile case connected with "religious
extremism" is now continuing in Taganrog. In July 2014 a city
court
sentenced local Jehovah's Witnesses to suspended sentences and
large monetary
fines for conducting religious rituals despite a prohibition
imposed back in
2009. At that time, Taganrog adherents of the cult were ruled
"extremist." If the rule suggested by Kaznacheeva were to be
adopted
by authorities, the Taganrog Witnesses could be held liable for
participation
in any religious organization throughout the entire territory of
Russia. [see related story:
European
Jehovah's Witnesses appeal for acquittal of Russian colleagues]
Speaking at the seminar, Valentina Kaznacheeva proposed several other restrictive measures. In her opinion, regional agencies of the prosecutor's office should receive the right to halt access to "extremist" resources on the Internet, bypassing the courts. At the present time such authority is possessed by the office of prosecutor general and Roskomnadzor itself.
"Before such a point (of a court's ruling), information is openly accessible for an unrestricted circle of persons. Because of this it is necessary to establish a non-judicial procedure for restricting access to such information," the news agency quotes the prosecutor. In confirmation of the need for such measures, Kaznacheeva reported that the number of "crimes of an extremist nature" grew in the first half of the year by 33%, while 60% of crimes were committed with the aid of the Internet.
Kaznacheeva proposed expanding the practice of non-judicial blocking also of calls for unsanctioned meetings. She said that current procedure does not permit operational deletion of information about a prohibited rally.
In addition, it is necessary to correct legislation banning display of symbols of "extremist" organizations. At present the law prohibits symbols only of those organization that were formally registered before the ban. "However, only 11 of 48 organizations banned (in Russia) had the status of a legal entity. The overwhelming majority of organizations do not have not only registration but even foundational documents," Valentina Kazancheeva complains. (tr. by PDS, posted 16 November 2015)
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