Orthodox Christians call for those involved in the Pussy Riot action to be brought under Art. 282

On March 18, 2012, in a number of Moscow churches, a letter was read from the pulpits calling for criminal prosecution under Art. 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement of hatred or enmity) for those involved in organizing the action of the punk group “Pussy Riot” in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, as well as the coverage of this action in the media.

Orthodox Christians are encouraged to contact the General Prosecutor's Office and the Moscow Prosecutor's Office with a corresponding application. (Two versions of this statement are known: see first and second .)

According to parishioners, in some churches a decree from the clergy (it is not reported whose name) was read out on the collection of signatures in support of this letter.

Chairman of the Synodal Information Department Vladimir Legoyda, commenting on these messages, said that he had no information about such a circular.

On March 19, the head of the Synodal Department for Relations between Church and Society, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, said that before the action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Pussy Riot tried to organize a similar performance in the Epiphany (Elokhovsky) Cathedral. According to the priest, this indicates that “the action was prepared very seriously, a considerable number of people took part in its organization, including those who recorded it with recording equipment.”

“I am convinced that these texts and videos are extremist materials, and their distribution is extremist activity,” said Fr. Vsevolod.

On March 19, 2012, commenting on the information about the dissemination of the letter, Mikhail Fedotov, Chairman of the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, emphasized that he considered it unacceptable to bring media representatives to criminal liability.

“Journalists who conscientiously cover what is happening in the country cannot be held criminally liable; they were doing their job. - He said. “But people who involve thousands and thousands of people in a conflict should think about whether their activities are inciting discord in society.”

See A. Verkhovsky’s commentary on the illegality of accusing the organizers of the punk action under Art. 282.

Sources

• Moscow parishioners were urged to sign a letter against Pussy Riot // Lenta.ru. 2012. March 18.
• DOCUMENT: Letter from believers of the Russian Orthodox Church MP in Moscow to the city prosecutor Sergei Kudeneyev. March 18 was read from the pulpits of Moscow churches with an appeal to put your signatures under it // Portal-Credo.ru. 2012. March 19.
• Vladimir Legoida: There was no circular to collect signatures against the punk group Pussy Riot // Orthodoxy and Peace. 2012. March 18.
• Two days before the action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Pussy Riot group gave a “concert” in the Yelokhovsky Cathedral // Interfax-religion. 2012. March 19.
• "Who raised the sword"? // ReligioPolis. 2012. March 20.