The anti-missionary amendments were slightly adjusted before the final reading.

The State Duma adopted in the second and third readings a package of bills that included amendments limiting missionary activity. Minor changes were made to these amendments before the final reading, but the repressive nature of the amendments remained.

On June 24, 2016, the State Duma adopted in the second and third readings a package of bills by Irina Yarovaya and Viktor Ozerov, which included amendments limiting missionary activity, which were opposed by religious organizations. Some changes were made to the amendments for final reading.

The framers narrowed the definition of missionary activity. Now this is considered only “the activity of a religious association aimed at disseminating information about its religion among persons who are not participants (members, followers) of this religious association, in order to involve these persons in the composition of participants (members, followers) of the religious association, carried out directly by religious associations or by citizens and (or) legal entities authorized by them publicly, using the media, the information and telecommunications network “Internet” or other legal means” , and not practically any activity to disseminate one’s creed, as in the previous version.

It is permitted to carry out such activities without hindrance:

“in places of worship, buildings and structures, as well as on the land plots on which such buildings and structures are located;

in buildings and structures owned by religious organizations or provided to them by other property rights for the implementation of their statutory activities, as well as on the land plots on which such buildings and structures are located;

in premises owned by religious organizations or provided to them by other property right for the implementation of their statutory activities, as well as on land plots on which buildings with appropriate premises are located, in agreement with the owners of such buildings;

in premises, buildings, structures and land plots owned by right of ownership or provided by other property right to organizations created by religious organizations;

on land plots owned by religious organizations or provided to them by other property rights;

in places of pilgrimage;

in cemeteries and crematoria;

in the premises of educational organizations historically used for religious ceremonies."

The ban on conducting missionary activities in residential premises remained.

A clause has been added prohibiting “the activities of a religious association to disseminate information about its doctrine in premises, buildings and structures belonging to another religious association, as well as on land plots on which such buildings and structures are located, without the written consent of the governing body of the relevant religious association.”

Without documents confirming the right to a mission, missionary work can be carried out by “the head of a religious organization, a member of its collegial body and (or) a clergyman of a religious organization.” For others, conducting missionary activity on behalf of a religious organization is possible only if they have “a document issued by the governing body of the religious organization and confirming the authority to carry out missionary activity on behalf of the religious organization. This document must contain the details of a document confirming the fact of making an entry about a religious organization in the unified state register of legal entities and issued by the federal state registration body or its territorial body.”

Other points of the amendments remained unchanged.

Sources

• Bill No. 1039101-6. On amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation in terms of establishing additional measures to counter terrorism and ensure public security // Automated system for ensuring legislative activity of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. 2016. June 24.