Priests of the Saratov diocese destroy “extremist literature” in prison libraries

In the Saratov region, clergy are checking libraries for extremist books.

On April 4, 2017, the press service of the Saratov diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church reported that Archpriest Vadim Konyaev, assistant head of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the region for work with believers, and priest Alexander Kuzmin, an " expert in the field of non-traditional cults and sects, " visited Saratov penal colony No. 33.

" The clergy checked the books in the colony's library for extremist content. The revealed extremist literature was destroyed ," the diocese noted.

Since the beginning of 2017, similar checks have already been held in the libraries of the Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 1, correctional colony No. 10 and pre-trial detention center No. 1, then representatives of the diocese intend to visit colonies No. 2 and No. 13 of the city of Engels.

It is not clear from the text of the message of the diocese which body gave these persons the authority to check library collections, write off and destroy books, and we believe that their activities may have signs of arbitrariness. Moreover, one gets the impression that priests do not only identify publications in libraries that have been recognized as extremist by courts and included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, but call literature extremist, based on their own perception of this concept.

On April 5, 2017, a representative of the Saratov diocese told the SOVA Center that it was not about prohibited materials, but about "sectarian literature", that is, brochures of Jehovah's Witnesses, which the priest recommended to the colony administration to seize and destroy, which was done. At the same time, the representative of the diocese referred to the order of the Ministry of Justice to suspend the activities of the Administrative Center of the Witnesses and its structural subdivisions until the decision of the Supreme Court on the suit for the liquidation of the organization. Recall that the order refers to "suspension of the activities of the Administrative Center and the suspension of the rights of local religious organizations included in its structure as founders of the media, a ban on using state and municipal media, organizing and holding meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and other mass or public events use bank deposits (with the exception of their use for settlements related to economic activities, compensation for losses (damage) caused by their actions, payment of taxes, fees or fines under employment contracts)" . This order does not provide any legal grounds for the removal from libraries of books of Jehovah's Witnesses that have not been recognized as extremist by court decisions. And the concept of "sectarian literature" has a purely ideological character and is not reflected in Russian legislation.

Sources

• In correctional colony No. 33, a conversation was held with prisoners about prayer and spiritual quest // Orthodoxy and Modernity. April 4, 2017
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• Inc. inf.