Russia bans activities of Ukrainian churches in Crimea since March

Russian authorities require that Ukrainian churches and religious organizations in Crimea apply for re-registration in accordance with the lawuntil March 1, 2015.

Non-compliance with this requirement entails a ban on religious activities of such entities and their subsequent elimination, the Institute of Religious Freedom reports.

This requirement is envisaged in Article 19 of Federal Law No.52-FZ as of 30.11.1994, with the recent amendments under Federal Law No. 506-FZ as of 31.12.2014.

“The legal entities that have failed to bring their constituent documents in line with the legislation and have not submitted applications for entering information about them into the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and have not acquired the status of a branch (representative) office of a foreign legal entity within the period specified in this Article ... are not eligible to operate in Russiaafter this period ... and shall be liquidated,” states the Federal Law of the Russian Federation.

According to representatives of the occupational authorities, the process of re-registration of religious organizations in Crimea “is very difficult to perform.”It was stated by Head of the Department for Religious Affairs and ethno-cultural communities of the Ministry of Culture of Crimea Alexander Selevko in Simferopol at an enlarged meeting of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation for the harmonization of interethnic and interfaith relations.

He said that the Russian legislative authorities planned to complete integrationof Crimean religious communities into the Russian legal framework by December 31, 2014. However, they had to extend the term until March 1, 2015. But these measures did not significantly change the situation.

According to Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian President in Crimea Vladimir Bobrovsky, nine communities have been re-registered in the region. Another 73 are in the process of registration. Only two religious organizationshave registered their statutes in Moscow.

Note that at the beginning of 2014 there were 1409 religious organizations with a legal entity status. Some674 religious communities, mainly Crimean Tatars,operated without registration. Over the past 25 years the number of religious communities in Crimea increased from 47 to 2083.

According to IRS experts, deprivation of legal entity status will primarily endanger property rights of the Ukrainian religious communities who will be unable tohold their temples, houses of worship, mosques and other buildings. This requirement aims to force Ukrainian priests and believers adopt Russian citizenship, move under jurisdiction of Russian religious centers and become subject to Russian law.

In addition, only registered religious organizations may perform religious rites in hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes and prisons; invite foreigners to work; open bank accounts for donations; buy and rent premises for worship and other property; produce and distribute literature, printed, audio and video materials; carry out charitable activities; establish and maintain international relations and contacts.