In Tatarstan, the court decided to expel an Indian from Russia for missionary activity

The Supreme Court of Tatarstan confirmed the legality of the district court's decision to expel a priest of the Evangelical Church in Naberezhnye Chelny from Russia for illegal missionary activity. about this . writes Information and analytical center "Sova"

On December 4, 2016, the local religious organization “Church of Evangelical Christians “God's Love” held a service in a rented building. One of the participants of the event considered that it was not a worship service, but missionary activity, and complained to the police.

On December 20, the Naberezhnye Chelny Court of the Republic of Tatarstan acknowledged that it was not the conduct of worship, but a violation of the procedure for carrying out missionary activity (part 5 of article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). By its decision, the court fined the clergyman Victorimmanuvel (Victor Immanuel) Mani (citizen of India) for 30,000 rubles and launched the procedure for expulsion from Russia. The court session began two hours after the ruling on the administrative offense was issued.

The court considered that the official rental of the premises and the dissemination of information about worship services on the VKontakte social network indicated missionary activity. The main argument of the accusation was the fact of handing over pamphlets and participation in worship of a certain citizen who was not a member of the church.

Lawyers Denis Litvinov and Yevgeny Shestakov consider the decision of the district court unlawful, since the federal law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" recognizes as missionary activity "the dissemination of creeds in relation to not one, but several persons who are not participants (members, followers) religious association. And in general, the process in the district court was conducted with violations.

A religious organization is preparing a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan.