A member of the Federation Council from Ingushetia proposes to classify illegal actions against churches and priests as aggravating circumstances

Issa Kostoev, a member of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, a representative of the government of the Republic of Ingushetia, suggested that the senators make a number of changes to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In particular, as the DECR Communication Service reports with reference to Regions.Ru, according to I. Kostoev, one should “qualify illegal actions against churches and clergymen as aggravating circumstances. The parliamentarian is sure that for theft from a tent and for attacks on churches should be different, "since such manifestations of aggression must be uncompromisingly nipped in the bud"".

The initiative of I. Kostoev was supported by the co-chairman of the Slavic Legal Center lawyer Anatoly Pchelintsev. At the same time, he recalled that the Criminal Code already has Art. 63 part 1 item "e", recognizing the motive of religious hatred as an aggravating circumstance. Those. The problem of protecting believers and religious buildings in Russian legislation is partially solved. The senator's initiative, according to A. Pchelintsev, will expand the idea of ​​what can be understood as an aggravating circumstance. These may include the theft from the temple, made not out of religious hatred, but even out of ordinary selfish motives. Or encroachment on objects of religious worship and worship, desecration of sacred places.

Sources

• Member of the Federation Council from Ingush Issa Kostoev proposed to qualify illegal actions against churches and clergy as aggravating circumstances // Official website of the Russian Orthodox Church. 2007. January 22. (With reference to Regions.Ru.)
• The state must protect churches and the feelings of believers, including with the help of the Criminal Code // Slavic Legal Center. 2007. January 23.