A representative of the Russian Orthodox Church called for ending cases of insulting the feelings of believers by reconciling the parties

August 6, 2018 Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and Mass Media Vakhtang Kipshidze urged investigators, judges and plaintiffs filing suits for insulting religious feelings, stop such cases by conciliation of the parties.

According to him, “believers and Orthodox public organizations filing complaints under Art. 148, cannot set a different goal, than the recognition by people who allow mockery of the shrine of their guilt.

“If a person who is being investigated under Art. 148 (Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - note of the Moscow Agency), admits his guilt, regrets committed mockery of the shrine, then any believer is called to apply for the termination of criminal prosecution and to seek the termination cases in the manner prescribed by Art. 25 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ("Reconciliation of the parties"). <...> We call on investigators, judges and applicants who consider themselves Orthodox believers to ensure that the majority, and preferably all proceedings for insulting the feelings of believers ended precisely by reconciliation of the parties,” V. Kipshidze said.

Sources

• The Russian Orthodox Church called on Orthodox judges to stop cases of insulting the feelings of believers by reconciling the parties // City News Agency "Moscow". 2018. August 6th.