A round table was held in Moscow on the upcoming amendments to the law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations”

On December 3, a round table "Human Rights and Missionary Activities of Religious Organizations in the Russian Federation" was held in Moscow, organized by the Euro-Asian Branch of the International Association for Religious Freedom (JAO MARS), the Slavic Law Center (SLC) and the Institute of Religion and Law. The event was attended by lawyers, scientists, representatives of religious organizations.

The following reports were heard at the round table: "Missionary activity as a form of manifestation of freedom of conscience in the Russian Federation" by the President of the JAO MARS, Professor Yuri Noskov, "The draft law on the regulation of missionary activity as an attempt to limit religious beliefs in the Russian Federation" by the co-chairman of the SOC, lawyer Anatoly Pchelintsev and "Regional legislation on missionary activity and the practice of their application" by Yuri Sipko, Chairman of the Russian Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists (RSECB).

All the speakers acknowledged that the upcoming amendments to the law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" contradict the Constitution and violate the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

Professor of Lomonosov Moscow State University Igor Kanterov, Chairman of the Russian Bible Society Anatoly Rudenko, Deputy Commanding Bishop of the RCCEE Pavel Bak, Co-Chairman of the SOC, lawyer Vladimir Ryakhovsky, lawyer of the Society for Krishna Consciousness Mikhail Frolov, Professor Ekaterina Elbakyan and others took part in the discussions.

The participants of the round table expressed concern that the Ministry of Justice, which removed the text of the bill from its website, would be able to prepare a new text and pass it through the State Duma under the guise of the one already discussed.

V. Vitko's report on the round table "Human Rights and Missionary Activities of Religious Organizations in the Russian Federation". 2009. December 10.

Sources

• Sitnikov M. Secret intent. Discussion around the possibility of regulating missionary activity in Russia // Slavic Legal Center. 2009. December 8.