Religious organizations in the Russian Federation are prohibited from transforming into other legal entities

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday, which prohibits the transformation of religious organizations into legal entities of a different legal form.

As specified on the Kremlin’s website, the document makes changes to the Federal Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations", as well as to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation.

"The reorganization of the religious organization is carried out on the grounds and in the manner prescribed by civil law. The religious organization cannot be transformed into a legal entity of another legal form," RIA Novosti cites one of the provisions of the law.

In addition, the document clarifies the content of the concept of "religious organization" and the nature of property relations between religious organizations and their founders. In particular, it states that citizens of the Russian Federation or other persons who are constantly and legally living in Russia can be created by a religious organization.

The Federal Law says in the certificate of state legal administration, clarifies the “procedure for legislative regulation of relations with the participation of religious organizations, the procedure for creating, legal status and activities of religious organizations by civil law and legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religious and religious associations.”

It is also established that the religious organizations of the Crimea and Sevastopol, last in the spring of last year, which were part of the Russian Federation, may bring their constituent documents in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation and apply with a statement on the introduction of information about them to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. "