RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Russian high court promises important ruling

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT WILL ANSWER WHETHER AN OWNER MAY PROVIDE A BUILDING FOR CONDUCTING WORSHIP SERVICES

RAPSI, 13 November 2019

 

On 14 November, the Constitutional Court of the RF will announce its decision in a case regarding the use by an owner of land designated for the location of an individual residence as a place for conducting church services, rituals, and ceremonies, RAPSI was told at the press service of the court.

 

The complainant, a resident of Rostov oblast, Olga Glamozdinova, asked for a verification of the consistency with the constitution of the RF of a paragraph of the second article 42 of the Land Code of the RF and part 1 of article 8.8 of the Code of Administrative Violations of Law of the RF, which establish the responsibility of owners and non-owners for the use of land for other than its designated purpose.

 

According to materials of the case, Glamozdinova is a parishioner of the Church of Christian Seventh-Day Adventists in the village of Veselyi, and as the owner of a residential building and plot of land of a quarter acre, in January 2017 she provided to the aforesaid church by an agreement free use of the property of her house for conducting worship services, rituals and ceremonies for 4 hours per week.

 

Glamozdinova's address was entered into the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities as the legal address of the religious organization.

 

In the appeal it was reported that in September 2017 the district department of the agency of Rosreestr for Rostov oblast held her administratively accountable and fined her 10 thousand rubles for use of a parcel of land for other than its designated purpose. And courts of two instances confirmed the legality of Rosreestr's order.

 

In the opinion of the complainant, the rules being challenged are inconsistent with articles 28, 35 (part 2) and 55 (part 3) of the constitution of the RF, inasmuch as they violate her right freely to own and dispose of her property and also her right to freedom of conscience and religious confession. (tr. by PDS, posted 13 November 2019)


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