VOLUNTEERS IN OREL COMPLAIN TO POLICE ABOUT BAPTISTS' CONCERT
Orlovskie Novosti, 20 March 2018
Volunteers of the Orel department of "Youth First Aid" wrote a declaration to the police. The reason for this was posters in Orel announcing a concert of a Christian chamber ensemble to be held on 14 March.
The concert was held in the Baptist "Prayer House" on Bryansk Street. The activists considered that the concert was a religious ritual. "They sang prayers, repented, etc.," the activists wrote on their VKontakte page.
In news media it was stated that the leaders "of this religious association, in order to popularize their teaching and attract an indeterminate circle of persons into the activity of the religious group, organized illegal missionary activity on the territory of the city of Orel."
Orlovskie Novosti was told at the MVD department that the news media report was recorded. "An inspection is being conducted regarding this incident," the department noted.
On 30 September 2016, Donald Jay Ossewaarde, an American Baptist living in Orel, was held administratively accountable and fined 40,000 rubles. He was brought to justice because he conducted worship services in Orel, although he had not notified the Ministry of Justice "about the start of the activity of a religious group," as required by new amendments regarding missionary activity from the so-called Yarovaya Package. After this the American appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, but he lost. Later he stated that he intended to leave Russia.
In the summer of last year it was reported that the European Court of Human Rights was preparing to consider the American's appeal. (tr. by PDS, posted 20 March 2018)
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