The State Duma intends to give a legal definition of “sect”

The State Duma, together with the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor General's Office, are going to ask the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to define a “sect.”

At the beginning of March 2014, it became known that an “anti-sectarian” working group created in the State Duma of the Russian Federation in 2013 was preparing a legal definition of “sect.” Deputy Mikhail Markelov announced this in an interview with the Krestovsky Most newspaper.

He described the task of the working group as follows: “We will prepare a joint appeal from deputies, representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor General’s Office and other departments so that the Supreme Court defines a sect. We are talking about destructive religious organizations that are active in different regions, exert a psychological influence on people, conduct illegal “treatment” sessions, often harm health and alienate the property of gullible adherents in their favor.”

Sources

• State Duma Deputy Mikhail Markelov: The most difficult confession was on Valaam // Krestovsky Bridge. 2014. No. 2.