The Ministry of Justice intends to introduce clearer regulation of missionary activity

The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation intends to amend the federal law on freedom of conscience and religious associations. They will concern the regulation of missionary activity.

“We intend to make additions to the federal law on freedom of conscience, first of all, to define the very concept of missionary activity, since such a definition has not yet been in our legislation,” said Sergey Milushkin, head of the department for non-profit organizations of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on March 12 at hearings in the State Duma.

The bill will spell out the conditions for the implementation of missionary activities, as well as the parameters of administrative responsibility for illegal missionary work.

The bill will be submitted to the government no later than December 2009, and before that it will be submitted for public discussion for constructive comments.

On September 18, 2009, a round table was held in the collegium hall of the Ministry of Justice to discuss the draft law being prepared. It was attended by representatives of religious organizations and the scientific community. The audience supported the bill.

Recall that this is not the first attempt to regulate missionary activity.

Sources

• The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation will tighten the legislation in the field of regulation of missionary work // Interfax-religion. 2009. March 12.
• In the collegium hall of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, a round table was held to discuss the amendments and additions proposed by the Ministry of Justice of Russia to the Federal Law of September 26, 1997 No. 125-FZ "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" // Website of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. 2009. September 18.