The Public Chamber of the Russian Federation has prepared a negative opinion on the bill on the transfer of religious property

On September 29, 2010 it became known that the Public The Chamber of the Russian Federation has prepared an opinion on the bill "On transfer of property to religious organizations.” The authors of the opinion fear that that despite the ban on the transfer of ownership of cultural heritage Russian Federation, there is an opportunity in the draft law to violate this prohibition: "To especially valuable objects can be attributed to both property and the institution itself culture to which the property is assigned. Thus the bill allows the possibility of seizing individual objects from state property, which contrary to law."

In addition, members of the Public Chamber saw in the bill a contradiction "to a number of principles enshrined the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international normative acts.

The adoption of the bill will the impossibility of access to objects for citizens of other religions": "In particular, access may be restricted internal rules of a religious organization, internal beliefs people who do not allow visiting places of worship of other confessions". The conclusion also notes that "many cultural heritage sites are not can be used in the performance of religious rites without applying them serious harm."

IN document prepared by the Civic Chamber contains proposals to cancel the declarative the nature of the procedure for the transfer by the state of one or another religious property and provide for measures to control "the safety and intended use objects of cultural heritage transferred to religious organizations", and also sanctions "for violating the conditions of conservation."

Recall that on September 22 the bill was approved by the State Duma in the first reading .

Sources

• Korobov P. Religious property is guaranteed freedom of religion // Kommersant. 2010. September 29.