The process of liquidating the Salvation Army has begun in Novgorod.

The Department of the Federal Registration Service for the Novgorod Region has filed a lawsuit to liquidate the local religious organization, the Salvation Army. Regular inspections of the activities of the organization began in April 2005. During the inspections, each time some violations were revealed.

Thus, on April 25, 2005, representatives of the Office of the Federal Registration Service noticed that the program schedule hanging in the Sunday school hall did not contain the full name of the organization. The violation was removed by the believers.

On September 29, 2005, the prosecutor's office of the Novgorod region demanded to provide lists of the organization's members, documents on the admission and expulsion of members of the corps.

On October 19, 2005, the prosecutor's office sent a submission to the head of the corps, in which, with reference to paragraph 5 of Art. 3 of the Law on Freedom of Conscience, pointed to the involvement of minors in religious activities by the organization. However, children took part in the activities of the Salvation Army only with the consent of their parents.

On November 16, 2005, the Federal Registration Service demanded that the Salvation Army's charter be amended. it was contrary to the Nonprofit Organizations Act. The required changes have been made. On February 10, 2006, the registration service refused to register the organization's new charter. Soon the Salvation Army again applied for registration, but it was again denied. After that, the registration service referred the case on the liquidation of the organization to the court.

Judge Novgorod Regional Court Yew.A. Kolokoltsev considered the statement of claim, on May 29 he held preliminary hearings. The first hearing has been scheduled for June 9th.

Vladimir Ryakhovsky , a lawyer for the Slavic Legal Center, considers the actions of the authorities an example of inexplicable and obvious discrimination against a registered religious organization.

Sources

• In Veliky Novgorod, the Federal Registration Service began the process of liquidating the Salvation Army Corps for no apparent reason // Slavic Legal Center. 2006. June 1.