We publish Alexander Verkhovsky's column "The fight against "religious extremism" is getting wider. We should narrow it down", published in NG-Religion on March 5, 2019. The recent dramatic events taking place with the Jehovah's Witnesses (banned in Russia - "NGR") - a harsh sentence for Dennis Christensen, the torture of detained believers in Surgut - make one wonder how unique what is happening to them. Let us first recall the dry facts.

The Council of Europe Commission recommends that Russia repeal the law on “gay propaganda” and provide protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, review anti-extremist legislation and the practice of its application, and lift the ban on Jehovah’s Witnesses organizations.

After the partial decriminalization of Art. 282 of the Criminal Code in the Code of Administrative Offenses, a new article appeared - 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (inciting hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity). We collect the resolutions issued on it into a single list on a monthly basis.

Bills on false information and indecent behavior on the network have undergone changes to the second reading. On March 5, 2019, relevant committees of the State Duma recommended the adoption in the second reading of the bills on the dissemination of false information and indecent behavior on the Internet, introduced by United Russia deputy Dmitry Vyatkin and senators Alexander Klishas and Lyudmila Bokova.

Bogdan Akimov, who dealt with the problem of emergency houses in Chita, was fined for pictures in the social network. In early March 2019, it became known that on February 11, the Central District Court of Chita punished Bogdan Akimov, a 20-year-old activist, a member of the Civil Solidarity movement, under Part 1 of Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (public display of Nazi symbols).

Residents of Crimea in 2019 received four additional days off in honor of religious holidays: you can not work on the days of the main Islamic holidays, on Monday after Easter and on Monday after Trinity - on Spirits Day. The head of the Crimea announced an additional holiday on the occasion of two Muslim holidays - Uraza Bairam (holiday of the end of fasting) and Eid al-Adha (holiday of the completion of the pilgrimage). The first day is also declared a non-working day.

A bill has been passed obliging lawyers, notaries and private accountants to take measures to freeze the funds of clients from the list of extremists. On March 5, 2019, the State Duma adopted in the second reading the bill "On Amendments to Articles 7 and 7.1 of the Federal Law "On Combating the Legalization (Laundering) of Proceeds from Crime and the Financing of Terrorism" and Articles 7 and 10 of the Federal Law "On the National Payment System »".