Fwd: Russia Court Bans Religous Group

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Thought everyone would be interested in the following news story (dated
3/3/99). Let's pray for the saints in Russia.

Sis Karen Harrison


> Russia Court Bans Religous Group
>  
>  .c The Associated Press
>  
>   By NICK WADHAMS
>  
>  MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian court has used a controversial religion law to ban
> the Pentecostalist Church from a town in eastern Siberia, a news report said
> today.
>  
>  Under Russian law, courts have the right to outlaw religious groups that
are 
> found to be inciting hatred or intolerant behavior. The law has been used 
> against several groups recently.
>  
>  A judge in the Siberian town of Aldan ruled Tuesday that the
Pentecostalists 
> had violated the law because they refused medical aid for ailing members of 
> the group. The court also said the Pentecostalists had preached intolerance 
> by teaching their children at home, the ITAR-Tass news agency said.
>  
>  The religion law, passed in 1997, recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church as
> the nation's leading faith and pledges to respect Islam, Judaism and
Buddhism.
>  But other denominations face a host of restrictions and have to prove they'
> ve had a presence in Russia for at least 15 years before they're permitted 
> full legal status.
>  
>  The court's ruling came at a time when the city and the Pentecostalists
were 
> involved in another confrontation in Aldan, about 3,000 miles east of
Moscow.
>  
>  A group of 60 Pentecostalists took over the city's administration building 
> Sunday and demanded that the city pay them for work they performed when 
> severe flooding hit the region last spring, ITAR-Tass said. City leaders say
> they repaid the church members with food, clothing and fuel.
>  
>  Authorities removed the Pentecostalists from the building today, taking the
> women and children to a hospital, while the men were placed in a detention 
> center, the Interfax news agency said.
>  
>  Human rights groups have protested Russia's religion law as a violation of 
> the Russian constitution, which permits freedom of religion. However, 
> authorities have acted against several religious groups recently.
>  
>  Last month, 400 Pentecostalists in the eastern coastal city of Magadan 
> applied for asylum in the United States after alleging they were harassed by
> local officials.
>  
>  In other high-profile cases, prosecutors in Moscow are seeking to ban the 
> Jehovah's Witnesses from the Russian capital in a trial that currently 
> underway.
>  
>  And tax police last week raided the Moscow offices of the Church of 
> Scientology, confiscating documents and questioning leaders.


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From: AOLNews@aol.com
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Subject: Russia Court Bans Religous Group
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 06:30:24 EST
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Russia Court Bans Religous Group

.c The Associated Press

 By NICK WADHAMS

MOSCOW (AP) -- A Russian court has used a controversial religion law to ban
the Pentecostalist Church from a town in eastern Siberia, a news report said
today.

Under Russian law, courts have the right to outlaw religious groups that are
found to be inciting hatred or intolerant behavior. The law has been used
against several groups recently.

A judge in the Siberian town of Aldan ruled Tuesday that the Pentecostalists
had violated the law because they refused medical aid for ailing members of
the group. The court also said the Pentecostalists had preached intolerance by
teaching their children at home, the ITAR-Tass news agency said.

The religion law, passed in 1997, recognizes the Russian Orthodox Church as
the nation's leading faith and pledges to respect Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.
But other denominations face a host of restrictions and have to prove they've
had a presence in Russia for at least 15 years before they're permitted full
legal status.

The court's ruling came at a time when the city and the Pentecostalists were
involved in another confrontation in Aldan, about 3,000 miles east of Moscow.

A group of 60 Pentecostalists took over the city's administration building
Sunday and demanded that the city pay them for work they performed when severe
flooding hit the region last spring, ITAR-Tass said. City leaders say they
repaid the church members with food, clothing and fuel.

Authorities removed the Pentecostalists from the building today, taking the
women and children to a hospital, while the men were placed in a detention
center, the Interfax news agency said.

Human rights groups have protested Russia's religion law as a violation of the
Russian constitution, which permits freedom of religion. However, authorities
have acted against several religious groups recently.

Last month, 400 Pentecostalists in the eastern coastal city of Magadan applied
for asylum in the United States after alleging they were harassed by local
officials.

In other high-profile cases, prosecutors in Moscow are seeking to ban the
Jehovah's Witnesses from the Russian capital in a trial that currently
underway.

And tax police last week raided the Moscow offices of the Church of
Scientology, confiscating documents and questioning leaders.

AP-NY-03-03-99 0629EST

 Copyright 1998 The Associated Press.  The information  contained in the AP
news report may not be published,  broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without  prior written authority of The Associated Press. 

 

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