The ECHR registered a complaint from a Sochi pastor fined for reading the Bible in a cafe

The ECtHR informed the Sochi pastor Aleksey Kolyasnikov that his complaint about the fine for reading the Bible in a cafe is registered.  

On December 14, 2015 it became known that the European Court of Human Rights of a person registered a complaint of the leader of the Evangelical Christian group “Community Christians” by Aleksey Kolyasnikov, challenging the legitimacy of the fine for reading Bibles in a cafe.

Recall that in October 2014 the world court found the pastor guilty under Part 2 of Art. 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (holding a public event without filing a notification of its holding in the prescribed manner) and fined him 30 thousand rubles. Then the Khostinsky District Court overturned this decision and sent the case back for a new trial. In December, having considered the case again, the court again fined the pastor. In January 2015, the Krasnodar Regional Court confirmed this decision.

The complaint to the ECtHR refers to a violation of the right to a fair trial (art. 6 of the Convention), violation freedom of thought, conscience and religion (art. 9), freedom of expression (art. 10) and freedom of assembly and association (art. 11).   Sources

• The ECtHR will consider the complaint of a pastor fined for reading the Bible in a cafe // RIA News. 2015. December 14.