STATE DUMA ADOPTS LAW ON MONITORING ACTIVITY OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
The State Duma adopted on second and third reading a bill on improvement of the mechanism for monitoring the activity of religious organizations with foreign financing.
The bill is aimed at differentiating the subjects of auditing of the activity of religious organizations depending upon their receipt of foreign financing.
The document requires religious organizations that receive in the course of one year money and other property from foreign and international organizations, foreigners, and persons without citizenship to file with the Ministry of Justice an accounting of their activity, membership of administrative bodies, and foreign financing. According to the law that was adopted, an accounting of the amount of information filed with the Ministry of Justice is to be published annually on the Internet or in news media.
The Ministry of Justice and its territorial bodies have gained the right to verify the financial and economic activity of a religious organization if it receives foreign financing or its activity has indicators of extremism, terrorism, or other violations of Russian legislation.
In addition, the number of reasons for conducting unannounced audits has been reduced from five to three. While prior notification of a religious organization about an unscheduled audit because of indicators of extremism (terrorism) in its activity is not allowed. (tr. by PDS, posted 18 November 2015)
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