JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN ARKHANGELSK PROVINCE INITIATE CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST DEPUTY GOVERNOR AND RPTsMP METROPOLITAN
Portal-credo.ru, 23 November 2015
Jehovah's Witnesses are requesting the opening of a criminal case against RPTsMP Metropolitan of Arkhangelsk and Kholmorgory Daniil (secular name, Alexander Grigorievich Dorovsky) and the Arkhangelsk provincial deputy governor for the development of the Solovki archipelago, Roman Balashov, the portal Dvinskaia Zemlia reported on 23 November. The reason for the request was a commentary by the vice-governor on the website of the Arkhangelsk diocese in which the aforesaid religious organization was designated as a "destructive sect."
According to the Jehovah's Witnesses' request, this publication was aimed at inciting religious hatred and strife and falls within the scope of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the RF. An inquiry on the basis of the request regarding a crime is being conducted by the Directorate for Internal Affairs for Arkhangelsk province. The maximum sentence under said article is up to two years of incarceration.
In the 1990s, a so-called "interagency antisectarian commission" was created in Arkhangelsk province under the direction of Roman Balashov. After occupying the office of vice-governor, Balashov became one of the principal initiators of the adoption in the region of the law "On missionary activity." (tr. by PDS, posted 23 November 2015)
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