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RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Russia has no heritage of religious liberty to draw on. As the Soviet Union began to crumble in the late 1980s, Russian leaders expressed an unprecedented new vision of religious freedom. This led to the 1990 Religious Freedom Act, Russia’s first legislation granting religious liberty.
In December 1993, Russians elected a new Parliament and approved a new Constitution. It established the Russian Federation as a secular state and forbade any state-sponsored or mandatory religion. It also made illegal the incitement of hatred towards another based on his religious beliefs.
Following the collapse of communism, many religious movements which the former communist regime had barred out of the country began to establish themselves in Russia. During the 1990s, however, Russian Orthodox leaders voiced opposition to the activities of “foreign” religions.
Following the collapse of communism, many religious movements which the former communist regime had barred out of the country began to establish themselves in Russia. During the 1990s, however, Russian Orthodox leaders voiced opposition to the activities of “foreign” religions.
This led to the Russian Parliament introducing a law to severely curtail the rights of all but a select few religions in Russia. After several rejections, the president yielded in September 1997, over international protests.
The law – the most oppressive of any European country – is designed to preserve the religious dominance of the Russian Orthodox Church and accomodate Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Roman Catholicism. Any religious organisation which cannot prove that it existed in Russia for more than 15 years at the time the law went into effect will not be recognised, and is subject to a series of repressive “registration” requirements aimed at curtailing their activities and preventing the formation of new associations.
The law was a major step backwards for Russia as it tries to emerge from its totalitarian past. It is completely contrary to the Russian Constitution which established Russia as a secular state and also violates the human rights instruments discussed earlier in this publication.
The Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted December 12, 1993. Provisions relating to religious freedom are as follows:
Article 14 (1):
The Russian Federation shall be a secular state. No religion may be instituted as [a] state-sponsored or mandatory religion.
(2): Religious associations shall be separated from the state, and shall be equal before the law.
Article 19 (2): The state shall guarantee the equality of rights and liberties regardless of sex, race, nationality, language ... attitude to religion, convictions ....
Article 28: Everyone shall be guaranteed the right to freedom of conscience, to freedom of religious worship, including the right to profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion, or to profess no religion, to freely choose, possess and disseminate religious or other beliefs, and to act in conformity with them.
Article 29 (1): Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought and speech.
(2): Propaganda or campaigning [to incite] social, racial, national or religious hatred and strife is impermissible. The propaganda of social, racial, national, religious or language superiority is forbidden.
(3): No one may be coerced into expressing one’s views and convictions or renouncing them.
Continued...
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