Religious Liberty in Danger in Russia: A Cause for Concern in Europe
Rome 26 September 2017, 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Camera dei Deputati (House of Parliament)
This seminar, organized in co-operation with MP Lacquaniti, will discuss the problems of religious liberty in Russia, a cause of serious concern in Europe. A case in point is the recent "liquidation" of the Jehovah's Witness. In the meantime, Russian authorities have moved against other religious and spiritual movements, with the same accusations of "extremism" used to support the case against the Jehovah's Witnesses. The notion of "extremism" enforced by Russian courts would allow the "liquidation" of many religions, and is supported by political, cultural, and religious factions in Russia that are hostile to the very notion of religious liberty. The latter also includes liberty of proselytization, something that is not recognized by the controversial Yarovaya laws of 2016, which greatly limits the missionary activities of all groups other than the Russian Orthodox Church and have been criticized by several international organizations.
