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Russian Justice Ministry says it's not unconstitutional to require permits for public Bible readings
Russia’s Justice Ministry has accused the mass media of distorting its position on a 2014 incident in Sochi, when the head of an Evangelical Christian group was fined 30,000 rubles ($500) for organizing a public Bible reading at a local cafe.
On Tuesday, Russian media outlets like the newspaper Vedomosti reported that Mikhail Galperin, Moscow's representative to the European Court of Human Rights, told the ECHR that the Evangelical organizer was fined because “Bible readings in cafes must have the state’s permission” for “public safety reasons.” Galperin explained that Alexey Kolyasnikov, the organizer of the Bible reading, was fined precisely because he never informed the local authorities about the event.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Justice Ministry argued that its position is based on Russian public assembly laws and court decisions, and therefore cannot be considered a violation of Russia’s constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion.
Nevertheless, the Justice Ministry still won't make clear if it’s legal in Russia to gather publicly without telling the government to read the Bible aloud.
The position of Russia’s Justice Ministry on this case is based on the aforementioned legal provisions and judicial rulings that have entered force against the claimant [Alexey Kolyasnikov]. This position cannot be considered a restriction on the freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.