Communists against sects

On May 22, 2012, State Duma deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction Andrei Tychinin submitted to parliament a bill amending the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations,” reports SOVA-Center.

The amendments proposed by the deputy provide for making it more difficult to create a religious organization by increasing the minimum number of local organizations from 10 to 50 people. To create a centralized organization if these amendments are adopted, the presence of local organizations in at least 30 regions will be required.

According to Tychinin, such measures will help protect socially vulnerable layers “from various sectarian manifestations.”

“It is not uncommon for newly created or separated sects that have their own founder to take possession of property transferred by members of a religious association through misrepresentation and deception.

At the same time, the frankly small, legally approved, quantitative composition of various religious organizations, both local and centralized, as well as the possibility of carrying out entrepreneurial activities, allows many organizations to avoid property creditor liability due to the impossibility of foreclosure on their property,” the explanatory note says to the document.

The deputy believes that the current legislation provides for “an extremely simple procedure for creating religious organizations.” Thus, a local religious organization is recognized as a religious organization consisting of at least ten participants who have reached 18 years of age and permanently residing in the same locality, and a centralized organization is recognized as an organization consisting of at least three local religious organizations.

“The initiative is also aimed at protecting the interests of citizens deceived by sects. Recently, there have been cases when newly created or separated sects from the main religious movement, through misrepresentation (that is, fraudulently) took possession of property transferred by members of a religious association,” was told the agency "Interfax-Religion" in the press service of the deputy.

In accordance with the current clause 5 of Article 21 of the Federal Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations”, this property is now impossible to seize even in court. The amendment being introduced allows the court to confiscate from religious organizations (including sects) any property that was not transferred to religious organizations by the state.