The ECHR communicated eight complaints about the ban on spiritual literature and religious organizations in Russia

The court in Strasbourg asked the Russian authorities questions about the observance of the right to freedom of conscience.

On September 18, 2017 it became known that on August 30-31 the European the Human Rights Court communicated eight complaints about the prohibition or denial of registration of several religious organizations and persecution for involvement in their activities, as well as for recognition as extremist a number of religious works. All these complaints filed with the ECtHR from 2011 to 2017 year, were accepted for consideration at the same time, since they appealed against violation of Art.Article. 9, 10 and 11 of the European Convention on the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association.

Among them is a complaint nine followers of the Turkish theologian Said Nursi ( Rashida Abdulova , Asylzhana Kelmukhambetova , Ilkhom Merazhova and Komila Odilova , Nakia Sharifullina and Laura Khapinova , Fidail Salimzyanov , Zarema Magomedova, Bagira Kazikhanov ) to ban a number of Nursi's works from the collection "Risale-i-Nur", the decision to recognize the religious association "Nurcular" as extremist, and criminal prosecution of Muslims for involvement in it under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The ECtHR also accepted the complaint Turkish publishing house "Sozler" for a ban Nursi's pamphlet "A Comparison of Faith and Unbelief" published by him.

was adopted and united complaint followers of the Tablighi religious movement recognized as extremist Jamaat" (Fatykha Basyrova from Kazan, as well as Farita Bikeev, Akhmetkali Bimukhanov, Temirbulat Durbeltaev and Kanat Krushenov from Sol-Iletsk). All applicants complain about the ban of the organization, four Muslims, convicted in Sol-Iletsk - to prosecution under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code for involvement in Tablighi Jamaat, and Fatykh Basyrov - for a warning issued to him in 2009 about inadmissibility of extremist activity.

Airat Shakirov disputes warning about possible prosecution under Art. 282.1 of the Criminal Code (organization extremist community), which he received in 2009 for an attempt to create in Kazan some kind of Salafi organizations.

Islamic Literature Publishing House "Publisher Ezhaev A.K." filed a complaint with the European Court against the recognition extremist books "Fundamentals faith in the light of the Qur'an and Sunnah" and "Life Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace" Safi al-Mubarakfuri.

ECtHR also communicated a joint complaint twelve Scientologists and eight of their organizations (Aidar Sultanov and the Church Scientology of Nizhnekamsk v. Russia), including the Church of Scientology of Moscow , Petersburg and Nizhnekamsk , Church of Scientology International (USA), New Era Publishing and other. Scientology Adepts Complain About Registration Denials and Liquidation organizations, ban Ron Hubbard books and religious discrimination. Recall that earlier decisions rendered by the ECtHR regarding organizations of Scientologists Russia does not performs.

The ECHR will also consider the complaint of Mikhail Sinitsyn, Sergei Alekhin and David Matas for a ban treatise by Li Hongzhi "Zhuan Falun", fundamental for adherents Chinese spiritual practice "Falun Gong", two brochures about it ("Falun Dafa in the World" and "World torch relay for human rights") and David's report Kilgour and David Matas on organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Magrifa Sydikova and Pavel Orlov dispute the decision on the recognition of the international religious association "Aum Shinrikyo" as a terrorist organization and the refusal opportunity to challenge this decision.

For each of the applications, the European Court appealed to the Russian authorities with questions regarding the violation of the rights applicants and other believers whose interests were affected by the relevant court decisions.

Thus, the ECtHR is preparing to consider the decisions of Russian courts affecting a large part of the spectrum of religious movements, adherents of which are subject to discrimination and persecution on the territory of the Russian Federation. The decisions to be made in Strasbourg are of fundamental importance for further judicial practice in cases of religious organizations and, more broadly, in cases relating to the right to freedom of conscience, both in Russia and in some former Soviet republics, in their religious policy guided by RF example. However, it should be borne in mind that Russia has repeatedly ignored the decisions of the ECtHR in this area.

Sources

• Margarita Alyokhina. ECtHR accepted complaints about the ban in Russia of Scientologists and Aum Shinrikyo // RBC. 2017. September 18.