INSANITY GROWS: YOU DIDN'T NOTIFY ABOUT A SERVICE, YOU GET A FINE
by Vladimir Ozolin
On 4 May 2019, a judge of the Maikop city court of the
republic of
Adygea, M.I. Katbambetov, issued an order by which the pastor of
the local
religious organization of the Word of Life Church of Christians
of Evangelical
Faith (Pentecostals) of the city of Maikop, Yu.Kh. Dachev, was
found guilty of
committing an administrative offense established under part 2 of
article 20.2
of the Code of the Russian Federation of Administrative
Violations of Law
(organizing or conducting a public event without submitting in
established form
notification about holding a public event) and was subject to a
fine of 20,000
rubles.
In fact, the pastor was fined for conducting a worship
service in
premises specifically designated for these purposes, but at the
same time he
did not notify the local administration about a public event.
Without a doubt, this order is illegal. Article 16 of
the federal law
"On freedom of conscience and religious associations" provides
that
worship services and other religious rituals and ceremonies are
conducted
without hindrance, among other places, in buildings and
structures granted to
them on another property right for conducting their charter
activity, and also
on land on which such buildings and structures are located.
At the same time, this article provides that in other
circumstances,
public worship services and other religious rituals and
ceremonies (including
liturgical and religious meetings), occurring in public places
in conditions
that require taking measures aimed at ensuring public order and
safety of both
participants in religious rituals and ceremonies and also other
citizens, are
conducted according to the procedure established for holding
rallies,
processions, and demonstrations.
The decision about whether taking such measures is
required should be
made immediately by the leadership of the religious organization
and upon it
will depend whether to submit notification or not.
Since holding him administratively accountable in this
case is
unreasonable, we have already filed an appeal in the Supreme
Court of the
republic of Adygea, where it will be considered soon.
However, if the higher judicial instance leaves the order in force, it will be necessary for every religious organization of any confession to file the pertinent notification before conducting every worship service, religious ritual, and ceremony, and every religious event will occur under the protection (read "control") of the police. (tr. by PDS, posted 23 May 2019)
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