12.10.2006 - Source: Forum 18

Finding against the state for violating the rights of the Salvation Army's Moscow branch by refusing to give it legal status and by branding it a "militarised organisation", the ECHR ruled that the state must pay the Church compensation of 10,000 Euros ("Will Salvation Army's European Court victory set a precedent?") [ID 17528]

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Local branches of the Salvation Army, of the Church of Scientology and of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have sought without success to (re-)register ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 11514]

"The MOJ reported that, as of May 2004, there were 21,664 registered organizations. Local courts largely upheld the right of nontraditional groups to register or reregister. Nonetheless, some religious groups continued to battle denials of registration in the courts. While such cases were often successful, administrative authorities were at times unwilling to implement court decisions. For example, the Moscow regional office of the MOJ has still not reregistered the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army, although the constitutional court found in 2003 that earlier rulings by Moscow courts dissolving the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army were unconstitutional. A court ruling against the Salvation Army's registration in Moscow's Presnenskiy District referred to the Salvation Army as a "militarized organization." A lawyer from the Slavic Center for Law and Justice was working with the Salvation Army at year's end to assist it in registering. The ECHR ruled in June 2004 that the group's complaint that it had not been allowed to reregister was admissible but did not rule on the complaint itself during the year.
The Moscow branch of the Church of Scientology has continued to be denied reregistration by the Moscow authorities and is facing threats of dissolution. On February 4, a Moscow appeals court ordered regional officials to permit the Church to apply for reregistration and to examine the application on the merits. Since 1997, the Scientology Church in Moscow has been refused reregistration 15 times. In 2003 the Church of Scientology in St. Petersburg filed suit in response to local authorities' repeated refusal to register their branch. A June hearing was postponed for an unspecified time due to the illness of the presiding judge. The latest hearing took place on December 20 during which the judge ruled in favor of local authorities' refusal to register the branch. The ECHR found admissible a suit filed jointly by the Church of Scientology in Surgut, Khanty-Mansiyskiy Autonomous Okrug, and by the Church of Scientology in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan Republic, against Russian officials' refusal to register their branches of the church. Local officials continued to refuse to register the Church in Dmitrograd, Izhevsk, Magnitogorsk, and Ufa.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sought without success to register a local religious organization in Kazan, Tatarstan, since 1998."

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

No progress in the investigation of an explosion in a building belonging to a congregation of unregistered Baptists ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 11515]

"There was no progress in the investigation of the January 2004 explosion in a building belonging to a congregation of unregistered Baptists (known as Initsiativniki) in Tula Oblast. In September 2004 an Initsiativniki church in Lyubuchany, Moscow Oblast burned down. This followed efforts by local law enforcement officers to intimidate participants in an open air gathering for several thousand Initsiativniki from all over central Russia sponsored by the Lyubuchany church. The official investigative report on the fire attributed it to arson, but no one was charged in the incident."

Document(s): Open document

08.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Freedom of religion unevenly respected; registration restrictions for the new congregations; Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons frequently discriminated ("Freedom in the World 2005") [#41473],  [ID 11516]

"Freedom of religion is respected unevenly in this predominantly Orthodox Christian country. A 1997 law on religion requires churches to prove that they have existed for at least 15 years before being permitted to register. As registration is necessary for a religious group to conduct many of its activities, new, independent congregations are consequently restricted in their functions. Regional authorities continue to harass nontraditional groups, with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons among the frequent targets. In June 2004, Jehovah’s Witnesses were banned from organized activity in Moscow. Foreign religious workers are often denied visas to return to Russia. In recent years, several Roman Catholic priests have been deported, barred from entry, or refused visa renewals."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Jehovah's Witnesses and Hare Krishna's accused as examples of xenophobic cults ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11517]

"353. A July 2002 Law "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation", which transferred much of the responsibility for visa affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Interior, appears to have disrupted the visa regime for religious and other foreign workers, contributing to the sharp decrease in the issuance of long-term visas and causing hardship for many groups. The FSB has asserted itself into matters dealing with visas and religion, particularly where groups it views as "dangerous cults and sects" are concerned. For example, an FSB official who acted as the official representative of the country at the meeting on 16 June 2004 of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on the Relationship between Racist, Xenophobic, and anti-Semitic Propaganda on the Internet and Hate Crimes presented an official statement that labelled members of Jehovah's Witnesses and Hare Krishna's as examples of xenophobic cults that propagated "fanatical devotion and rejection of other religions" on their Web sites199."

Document(s): Open document

03.06.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Salvation Army continues to face obstacles in conducting activities in some regions ("Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation [Doc. 10568]") [#32710],  [ID 11518]

"358. In its Resolution 1277 (2002), the Assembly regretted the problems of the Salvation Army201 and Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow, but welcomed the decision of the Russian authorities to ensure that the problem of local discrimination and harassment of these religious communities be brought to an end. However, we have to report that to date both organisations continue to face legal and/or practical obstacles in conducting their activities in some regions of the Federation.

359. In February 2003, the Taganskiy District Court of Moscow quashed its own September 2001 decision ordering liquidation of the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army following a ruling by the Constitutional Court of 7 February 2002. As the ruling of the Constitutional Court concerned only the liquidation procedure, the decisions on refusal to re-register taken in 2000 remain in force. The Moscow branch of the Salvation Army is to date de facto deprived of its legal status, since the time limit for re-registration has expired.

360. The Moscow branch of the Salvation Army has lodged an application with the European Court of Human Rights on 18 May 2001, which was declared admissible in June 2004. In its application, the Moscow branch of the Salvation Army complained under Articles 9 and 11 of the Convention that the refusal to grant legal entity status severely curtails its ability to manifest its religion in worship and practice. The applicant submits that the classification of the Salvation Army as a paramilitary organisation and the assumption that its members would inevitably break Russian law are not founded on any factual proof and represent an impermissible judgement about the legitimacy of the applicant's religion."

Document(s): Open document

30.03.2005 - Source: Forum 18

Samara: No official response by municipal authorities to requests of Old Believers for return of pre-1917 church building ("Old Believers struggle for their historic churches") [#31594],  [ID 11519]

Document(s): Open document

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Attitudes toward traditionally Muslim ethnic groups, Jews, Catholics and adherents of newer, non Orthodox religions remained negative in many regions ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29515],  [ID 11520]

"Popular attitudes toward traditionally Muslim ethnic groups remained negative in many regions, and there were manifestations of anti Semitism as well as societal hostility toward Catholics and adherents of newer, non Orthodox, religions. Many observers reported that incidents of racially or ethnically motivated attacks increased significantly in recent years, although it was often difficult to determine whether xenophobia, religion, or ethnic prejudices were the primary motivation behind violent attacks. Conservative activists claiming ties to the ROC disseminated negative publications and staged demonstrations throughout the country against Catholics, Protestants, members of Jehovah's Witnesses, and religions new to the country, and some ROC leaders publicly expressed similar views."

Document(s): Open document

03.02.2005 - Source: Forum 18

Stavropol state authorities appear to assist local Moscow Patriarchate in in its fight against autonomous Orthodox communities ("Southern authorities side with Patriarchate against alternative Orthodox?") [#29320],  [ID 11521]

Document(s): Open document

16.06.2004 - Source: Forum 18

Khabarovsk: local Orthodox complain of "Catholic expansion" and "espionage" by non-Orthodox religious groups ("Do foreign missionaries bear "the hallmarks of espionage" in Khabarovsk region?") [#23295],  [ID 11523]

Document(s): Open document

07.06.2004 - Source: Forum 18

Khabarovsk: non-Russian Orthodox religious groups barred unofficially from securing places of worship in the centre of Khabarovsk ("No non-Orthodox places of worship wanted in Khabarovsk city centre") [#23254],  [ID 11524]

Document(s): Open document

25.02.2004 - Source: US Department of State

Many other religious groups continued to contest administrative actions against them in the courts ("Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003") [#19737],  [ID 11525]

"Many other religious groups continued to contest administrative actions against them in the courts. While such cases were often successful in court, administrative authorities were at times unwilling to enforce court decisions. While the Moscow authorities have not yet permitted the Salvation Army to reregister, the group continued to operate at year's end.

The Moscow branch of the Church of Scientology has not been permitted by the Moscow authorities to reregister and was threatened with liquidation. The Scientologists filed a suit with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the liquidation order and has continued to avoid liquidation.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) had succeeded in registering more than 45 local religious organizations as of June 30; however, in several regions local officials impeded registration. For example, the Mormons have attempted unsuccessfully to register a local religious organization in Kazan, Tatarstan, since 1998."

Document(s): Open document

17.02.2004 - Source: Forum 18

Ex-KGB officials summoned Old Believer clergy before church leadership election and voiced preference for one of two candidates/ The other candidate was elected nevertheless. ("Old Believers summoned by ex-KGB before church leadership election") [#19358],  [ID 11526]

Document(s): Open document

11.02.2004 - Source: Forum 18

Baptist and Orthodox churches in Tula have been victims of arson attacks explosions in the recent months ("Tula Baptist & Orthodox churches under attack?") [#19254],  [ID 11527]

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2002 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

International Helsinki Federation: Moscow Branch of the Salvation Army faced charges for having applied for registration too late ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: The Balkans, the Caucasus, Europe, Central Asia and North America") [#7145],  [ID 11528]

"The Moscow Branch of the Salvation Army, which was registered on the federal level, faced charges in Moscow for having applied for registration too late and for not meeting the legal criteria required for registration because of it being a “paramilitary” body. On 12 September the branch was dissolved due to its failure to obtain re-registration, and on 6 December a court ruled that it was obliged to cease all activities in Moscow. The Slavic Center for Law and Justice (Moscow) challenged the legality of the provision in Russian law that served as the basis for the closure, and on 7 February 2002 the Constitutional Court ruled that the authorities had misinterpreted the law when dealing with the case and revoked the previous judgments. The Constitutional Court pointed out that the said provision could not be applied in order to dissolve religious organisations simply because they had missed the re-registration deadline. The Slavic Center for Law and Justice believed that the ruling was crucial not only for the Salvation Army but also for many other organisations, which had been denied re-registration and, therefore, were threatened with liquidation."

Document(s): Open document
02279rus.pdf

04.2002 - Source: UK Home Office

UK Home Office: Church of the New Holy Russia ("Country Assessment - April 2002") [#7107],  [ID 11529]

"The Church of the New Holy Russia (or Church of the Transfiguring Mother of God, formerly known as the Mother of God Centre) founded by Ioann Bereslavskiy in secret during the Soviet years, believes that at Judgement Day the Virgin Mary will separate the pure from the impure world. The Church of the Last Precept, based in Minusinsk, Siberia, was founded by Vissarion (formerly a policeman called Sergey Tropp) who claims to be Jesus Christ, married to Mary Magdalene. His followers, mainly of middle class urban origin and reported to number 70,000, live in poverty, in wooden houses in the Siberian forest. The White Brotherhood, founded by Yuriy Krivonogov and Marina Tsvigun in Kiev in 1990, is reported to have 10,000 followers, and believes that God became incarnate in the form of Mariya Devi Khristos, who took over Tsvigun's body in April 1990. Having mistakenly predicted the end of the world in November 1993, both Krivonogov and Tsvigun were arrested during a riot in Kiev's St Sophia Cathedral. They were charged with inciting mass unrest, infringing personal and civic rights under the guise of performing religious rituals, and the premeditated infliction of serious bodily injuries. Both were sentenced to a term of imprisonment, although Tsvigun was released under an amnesty in August 1997.

Foreign cults and religious groups include the Jehovah's Witnesses, thought to have 60,000 followers; the US-based Church of Christ; the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons); the Hare Krishnas, who have a radio station in Moscow; the Unification Church, which has operated since 1990 when its founder, Rev Sun Myung Moon, met President Gorbachev; the Japanese Aum Shinrikyo sect, which although now banned is believed to have 50,000 followers; L Ron Hubbard's Church of Scientology, whose recruiting structure, featuring dianetic centres, has been active since 1992, and which has financed the refurbishment of a reading room at Moscow State University; and the New Age Movement. Some of these and numerous other religious groups have sometimes experienced various problems in Russia."

Document(s): Open document