LAW ON THE FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS
THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION
The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation,
reaffirming
the right of every person to the freedom of conscience and faith as well as the quality before the law
regardless of their attitude towards religion and convictions,
proceeding
from the fact that the Russian
Federation is a secular state,
recognizing
a special role of the Orthodox Church in the history of Russia, the formation and development of its
spirituality and culture,
having
respect for Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and other religions constituting an
integral part of the historical heritage of the peoples of Russia,
believing it
important to promote mutual understanding, tolerance and respect in matters of
the freedom of conscience and faith, therefore, adopts this Federal Law.
Chapter I.
General Provisions
Article 1.
Subject of Regulation of This Federal Law
This Federal Law regulates legal relationships in the
field of human rights and the rights of every citizen to the freedom of
conscience and faith as well as the legal status of religious associations.
Article 2. Laws on the Freedom of
Conscience, Faith and Religious Associations
(1) The laws on the freedom of conscience, faith and religious
associations consist of the corresponding rules of the Constitution of the
Russian Federation, the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, this Federal Law,
other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation to be adopted in
accordance therewith as well as normative legal acts of the subjects of the
Russian Federation.
(2) The
rights of man and citizen to the freedom of conscience and faith shall be
regulated by the Federal Law. The laws and other regulatory legal acts to be
adopted in the Russian
Federation, involving the exercise of rights
to the freedom of conscience and faith as well as the activities of religious
associations shall be in accordance with this Federal Law. In the event of
discrepancy between this Federal Law and the regulatory legal acts of the
subjects of the Russian
Federation on matters of protection of the
rights to the freedom of conscience and faith and the activities of religious
associations, this Federal Law shall prevail.
(3) Nothing
contained in the legislation on the freedom of conscience and faith and
religious associations shall be interpreted in the sense of impairment or
infringement upon the rights of man and citizen to the freedom of conscience
and faith guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian
Federation or ensuing from international agreements of
the Russian Federation.
Article
3. The Right to the Freedom of Conscience and Faith
(1) The Russian Federation
guarantees the freedom of conscience and faith, including the right to profess
individually or jointly with others any religion or to profess no religion
whatsoever, to freely choose and alter, have and disseminate religious and
other convictions and practice these in real life.
Foreign citizens and persons without citizenship that
legally stay in the territory of the Russian Federation shall enjoy the right
to the freedom of conscience and faith equally with the citizens of the Russian
Federation and shall bear responsibility established under Federal Laws for the
violation of the legislation on the freedom of conscience, faith and religious
associations.
(2) The
right of man and citizen to the freedom of conscience and faith may be
restricted under the Federal Law only in so far as it is required for purposes of
protection of the basics of the constitutional regime, morals, health, rights
and legitimate interests of man and citizen, insurance of the defenses of the
country and the security of the state.
(3) The
establishment of privileges, restrictions or any other forms of discrimination
depending on one’s attitude to religion shall not be allowed.
(4) The
citizens of the Russian
Federation shall be equal before the law in
all the fields of civil, political, economic, social and cultural life
irrespective of their attitude to religion and religious affiliation. The
citizen of the Russian
Federation shall, in the event that the
military service runs counter to his convictions or religion, have the right of
substitution thereof with an alternative civil service. At the request of
religious organizations and by decision of the President of the Russian Federation, the clergymen may in
accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on Military Duty
and Military Service During Peace-time be granted a deferment from the
conscription and the exemption from periodic military training.
(5) No
person shall be obliged to declare his or her attitude to religion and may not
be subject to compulsion in determining his or her attitude to religion, nor
shall he or she be forced to profess or refuse to profess religion, to
participate or not participate in services of worship, other religious rights
and ceremonies, the activities of religious associations and teaching religion.
It shall be prohibited to draw minors into religious associations as well as to
teach religion to minors against their will and without the consent of their
parents or persons acting as parents.
(6) The
prevention of exercise of rights to the freedom of conscience and faith,
including that associated with violence against person, the intentional hurting
of feelings of citizens in connection with their attitude to religion, the
propaganda of religious supremacy, the destruction of or damage to the property
or a threat of commission of such actions shall be prohibited and prosecuted in
accordance with the Federal Law. Conducting public events, putting up texts and
images that may hurt the religious feelings of citizens close to projects of
religious worship shall be prohibited.
(7) The
secrecy of confession is guaranteed under the law. No clergymen may be brought
to responsibility for refusal to testify about the circumstances that have
become known to him from the confession.
Article 4. The State and Religious
Associations
(1) The Russian Federation
is a secular state. No religion may be proclaimed as a governmental and
compulsory religion. Religious associations are separated from the state and
are equal before the law.
(2) In
keeping with the constitutional principle of separation of religious associations
from the state, the state:
shall not
interfere with determination by the citizen of his or her attitude to religion and religious affiliation,
the upbringing of children by parents or persons acting as parents in keeping with
their convictions and with regard for the rights
of the child to the freedom of conscience and faith;
shall not
impose on religious associations the performance of functions of the bodies of state power, other public
bodies, governmental agencies and bodies of local administration;
shall not
interfere with the activity of religious associations, unless it conflicts with
this Federal Law;
shall ensure
the secular nature of education at governmental and municipal educational
establishments.
(3) The
state shall effect regulation in granting to religious organizations tax and
other exemptions, extend financial, material and other assistance to religious
organizations in the restoration, maintenance and protection of buildings and
projects being monuments of history and culture as well as in arranging the
teaching of general educational subjects at educational establishments set up
by religious organizations as is envisaged under the laws of the Russian
Federation on education.
(4) The
activities of bodies of state power and local administration shall not be
accompanied by public religious rites and ceremonies. The officials of state
authorities, other public bodies and bodies of local administration as well as
servicemen shall have no right to use their official position to cultivate any
particular attitude to religion.
(5) In
conformity with the constitutional principle of separation of religious
associations from the state, the religious association:
shall be set
up and pursue its activities in accordance with its own hierarchic and institutional
structure, elect, appoint and replace its personnel as per its own regulations;
shall not
perform the functions of state authorities, other public bodies, governmental agencies and bodies of local
administration;
shall not
participate in the elections to the bodies of state power and local administration;
shall not
participate in the activities of political parties and political movements, nor
shall provide them
with material or any other assistance.
(6) The
separation of religious associations from the state shall not entail the
restriction of the rights of members of the said associations to participate
equally with other citizens in managing the affairs of the state, the elections
to state authorities and bodies of local administration, the activities of
political parties, political movements and other public associations.
(7) At
the request of religious organizations relevant bodies of state power in the Russian Federation
shall have the right to proclaim religious holidays as non-working days
(holidays) in respective territories.
Article
5. Religious Education
(1) Each
man shall have the right to receive religious education at his option
individually or jointly with others.
(2) The
upbringing and education of children shall be the responsibility of parents or
other persons acting as parents, with regard for the right of the child to the
freedom of conscience and faith.
(3) Religious
organizations shall be entitled acting in accordance with their charters and
subject to the laws of the Russian
Federation to set up educational
establishments.
(4) At
the request of parents or other persons acting as parents, with the consent of
the children going to state and municipal educational establishments, the
administration of the said establishments shall by agreement with the
corresponding body of local administration provide a religious organization
with the possibility of teaching religion to children outside the framework of
educational curriculum.
Chapter II. Religious Associations
Article
6. Religious Associations
(1) Religious
association in the Russian Federation
shall mean any voluntary association of citizens of the Russian Federation, other persons residing
permanently and legally in the territory of the Russian Federation, set up for
purposes of joint profession and dissemination of faith characterized by
features answering the said purpose, viz.:
·
religious
denomination;
·
performance
of services of worship, other religious rites and ceremonies;
·
teaching
religion and religious education of its followers.
(2) Religious
associations may be set up in the form of religious groups and religious
organizations.
(3) It
shall be prohibited to set up religious associations within the bodies of state
power, other public bodies, governmental agencies and bodies of local
administration, military units, governmental and municipal organizations.
(4) The
formation and activities of religious associations whose objectives and actions
are at variance with the law shall be prohibited.
Article
7. Religious Groups
(1) Religious
group under this Federal Law shall mean any voluntary association of citizens
set up with the objective of joint profession and dissemination of faith,
carrying on its activities without registration with the state authorities and
without the acquisition of capacity of a legal entity. The premises and
property required for the activities of the religious group shall be provided
for use by such a group by its members.
(2) The
citizens that have formed a religious group with the intention to further
transform it into a religious organization shall inform the bodies of local
administration of its formation and the start of its activities.
(3) Religious
groups shall have the right to perform divine services, other religious rites
and ceremonies as well as to carry on teaching of religion and religious
education of its followers.
Article
8. Religious Organizations
(1) Religious
organization shall mean a voluntary association of citizens of the Russian Federation, other persons, residing
permanently and legally in the territory of the Russian Federation, set up for
purposes of joint profession and dissemination of faith that has been duly
registered as a legal entity.
(2) Religious
organizations shall, depending on the territorial spheres of their activities,
be divided into local and centralized.
(3) Local
religious organization shall mean a religious organization consisting of no
less than ten persons not younger than 18 years old that permanently reside in
the same locality or the same town or village settlement.
(4) Centralized
religious organization shall mean a religious organization consisting as per
its charter of no less than 3 local religious organizations.
(5) The
centralized religious organizations whose structures have operated in the
territory of the Russian Federation on legal grounds for no less than 15 years
shall at the time of filing by the said religious organization of an
application to the body of registration, requesting government registration, be
entitled to use in its names such words as “Russia,” “Russian,” and their
derivatives.
(6) The
religious organization shall also mean an agency or an organization set up by
the centralized religious organization in accordance with its charter that
pursue the objective and possesses the features specified under Item 1 of
Article 6 hereof, including a governing or coordinating body or agency as well
as the establishment of a professional religious formation.
(7) The
bodies of state power shall while examining issues involving the activities of
religious organizations in the society take into consideration the territorial
scope of operation of a religious organization and provide relevant religious
organizations with the possibility to participate in dealing with the said
issues.
(8) The
name of a religious organization shall contain an indication to its religion.
The religious organization shall be obliged to state its name in full in the
exercise of its activities.
(9) A religious
organization shall on an annual basis inform the body of its registration of
the continuation of its activities by indicating the data to be included in the
unified state register of legal entities.
The said data on local religious organizations may be
submitted to the body of registration by a relevant centralized religious
organization.
The failure to submit the said data within 3 years
shall constitute the grounds for the body of registration to file a claim to
the court of law requesting the declaration of the religious organization as
having ceased its activities.
Article
9. Setting up Religious Organizations
(1) The
founders of a local religious organization may comprise no less than 10
citizens of the Russian Federation associated as a religious group, having a
confirmation of its existence in the given territory for no less than 15 years,
issued by the bodies of local administration or a confirmation of its
membership in the centralized religious organization of the same worship,
issued by the said organization.
(2) The
centralized religious organizations shall be set up upon the availability of no
less than 3 local religious organizations of the same religion in accordance
with the regulations of the said religious organizations, unless such
regulations are at variance with the law.
Article 10. The Charter of a Religious
Organization
(1) A
religious organization shall act on the basis of its charter to be approved by
its founders or the centralized religious organization which shall meet the
requirements of the civil legislation of the Russian Federation.
(2) The
charter of a religious organization shall state:
the name,
location, type of religious organization, faith denomination and in case of its
membership in the existent centralized religious organization, its name;
objectives,
tasks and basic forms of activity;
procedure
for establishment and cessation of activity;
structure of
organization, its bodies of management, procedure for formation and competence
thereof;
sources of
formation of monetary resources and other property of organization;
procedure
for introduction of changes and amendments into the charter;
procedure
for disposal of the property in case of cessation of activities;
other data
related to the peculiarities of activity of the given religious organization.
Article 11. Registration of Religious
Organizations with State Authorities
(1) The
registration of religious organizations with state authorities shall be
effected by the federal body of justice and those of the subjects of the Russian Federation according to the procedure
established under the civil legislation of the Russian Federation and this Federal
Law.
(2) The
government registration of local as well as centralized religious organizations
consisting of local religious organizations, located within one subject of the Russian Federation, shall be effected by the
body of justice of a corresponding subject of the Russian Federation.
(3) The
federal body of justice shall register the centralized religious organizations
whose local religious organizations operate in the territories of two or more
subjects of the Russian
Federation.
(4) The
government registration of religious organizations formed by a centralized
religious organization in accordance with Item 6 of Article 8 hereof, shall be
effected by the body of justice that has registered a corresponding religious
organization.
(5) For
purposes of government registration of a local religious organization, the
founders shall submit to the respective body of justice as follows:
application
for registration;
list of
persons setting up a religious organization, indicating their citizenship,
place of residence, date
of birth;
charter of
the religious organization;
minutes of
the constituent assembly;
document
confirming the existence of a religious group in the given territory for no less than 15 years,
issued by the body of local administration or confirming its membership in the centralized
religious organization, issued by its governing
center;
data on the
basic principles of religious teachings and the corresponding practice, including
about the history of origin of the religion and the given association, the forms and methods of its
activity, the attitude to family and marriage, education,
peculiarities of attitude to the health by the followers of the given religion, restrictions
imposed on the members and clergymen of the organization
as regards their civic rights and duties;
document confirming
the location of the newly formed religious organization.
(6) In
the event that a superior governing body of the newly formed religious
organization is located outside the Russian Federation, it is required to
submit besides the documents specified under Item 5 hereof, according to the
prescribed procedure, also the charter or any other basic document of a foreign
religious organization to be certified by the government body of the country of
location of the said organization.
(7) The
grounds for the government registration of centralized religious organizations
as well as religious organizations to be set up by the centralized religious
organizations shall be as follows:
application
for registration;
list of
founders of the religious organization;
charter of
the newly formed religious organization approved by its founders;
document
confirming the location of the governing body of the newly formed
religious organization;
notarized
copies of the charter and certificate of government registration of the founder;
relevant
decision of the founders’ authorized body.
In
establishing a centralized religious organization the founder [founders] shall
also submit the charters of no less than 3 local religious organizations
incorporated within its structure and the data on other religious organizations
that are incorporated within the given structure.
(8) The
application for the government registration of a religious organization, set up
by the centralized religious organization or on the grounds of confirmation
issued by the centralized religious organization, shall be reviewed within a
month from the date of submission of all the documents specified herein. In
other cases the body of registration shall be entitled to extend the period of
review of documents up to six months to conduct the state examination by the
religion-competent experts. The procedure for conducting the state examination
by religion-competent experts shall be such as prescribed by the Government of
the Russian Federation.
(9) In
the event of the failure by an applicant [applicants] to meet the requirements
specified under Items 5–7 hereof, the body of registration shall be entitled
not to examine the application by sending an advice hereof to the applicant
[applicants].
(10) In the
case of making a decision in favor of registration of a religious organization,
the body of registration shall issue to an applicant a certificate in the set
form on the government registration of a religious organization and enter the
data of government registration in the unified state register of legal entities
to be open for everyone’s knowledge.
(11) The
changes and amendments introduced in the charters of religious organizations
shall be registered with state authorities according to the procedure
prescribed for registration of religious organizations and shall take effect
for third persons from the government registration thereof.
(12) In
the event of amendments in the data to be entered in the unified state register
of legal persons, the religious organization shall within a month from the
introduction of such amendments inform the body of registration thereof.
Article 12. Refusal to Effect Government
Registration of a Religious Organization
(1) Government
registration may be refused to a religious organization whenever:
the
objectives and activities of a religious organization run counter to the
Constitution of the
Russian Federation and the laws of the Russian Federation—by reference to
specific articles of the laws;
the given
organization has not been recognized as a religious organization;
the charter
and other submitted documents do not meet the requirements of the laws of the Russian Federation or the data
contained therein are not true;
the
organization with the same name has already been registered in the unified
state register of legal
entities;
the founder
[founders] is legally incompetent.
(2) In
case of refusal of government registration of a religious organization the
decision made shall be communicated in writing to an applicant [applicants] by
indicating the reasons for refusal. The refusal for reasons of inexpediency of
setting up a religious organization shall not be permitted. The refusal of the
body of registration to effect government registration of a religious
organization as well as its evasion from such registration may be protested in
a court of law.
Article 13. The Representations of
Foreign Religious Organizations
(1) Foreign
religious organization shall mean an organization set up outside the Russian Federation
in accordance with the laws of a foreign state.
(2) A
foreign religious organization may be granted the right to open its
representative office in the territory of the Russian Federation.
The representation of a foreign religious
organization may not engage in the activities of worship and other religious
activities and shall not enjoy the status of a religious association as
established hereunder.
(3) The
procedure for registration, establishment and closure of a representative
office of a foreign religious organization shall be prescribed by the
government of the Russian Federation
in keeping with the laws of the Russian
Federation.
(4) In
the event of making a decision in favor of the registration of a representative
office of a foreign religious organization, its representative shall be given a
certificate after the form set by the Government of the Russian Federation.
(5) The
Russian religious organization shall be entitled to have under it a
representative office of a foreign religious organization.
Article 14. Suspension of the Activity of a Religious
Association, the Liquidation of a Religious Organization and the Prohibition of
the Activity of a Religious Association, if They Violate the Legislation
(1) Religious
organizations may be liquidated:
by decision
of their founders or a body authorized thereto by the charter of a religious organization;
by court
decision in the event of repeated or gross violations of the rules of the Constitution of the Russian Federation,
this Federal Law and other Federal Laws
or in the event of systematic performance by a religious organization of activities running
counter to the objectives of its creation (statutory objectives).
(2) The
grounds for liquidation of a religious organization, banning the activities of a
religious organization or a religious group by due course of law shall comprise
as follows:
the breach
of public security and public order;
acts aimed
at the performance of an extremist activity;
forcing to
break the family;
encroachments
on the personality, rights and freedoms of citizens;
infliction
of damage established under the law to morals, health of citizens, including the use in connection with
their religious activity of narcotic drugs and psychotherapeutic
agents, hypnosis, the commission of acts of perversion and other unlawful actions;
inducement
to suicide and refusal for reasons of religion to give medical aid to persons in a state
endangering their life and health;
preventing a
citizen by using a threat of damage to his life, health, or property, provided there is a
real danger of realization of same, or a threat of violence or by other illegal actions from
withdrawing from a religious association;
preventing
from receiving compulsory education;
forcing
members and followers of religious associations and other persons to alienate their property in favor of
religious associations;
encouraging
citizens to refuse to perform the civil duties established under the law and to commit other
wrongful acts.
(3) The
bodies of the prosecutor’s office of the Russian Federation, the body in
charge of registration of religious organizations as well as bodies of local
administration shall have the right to file applications to the court
requesting the liquidation of a religious organization or the ban on the
activity of a religious organization or a religious group.
(4) The
legal capacity of the religious organization to be liquidated as a legal entity
shall cease and the property of the said religious organization shall be distributed
as is provided for under its charter and the civil legislation of the Russian Federation.
(5) The
grounds and the procedure for liquidation of a religious organization by a
court decision shall also apply in respect to the ban on the activities of a
religious group.
(6) The
activity of a religious association may be suspended, a religious organization
may be liquidated and the activity of a religious association, which is not a
religious organization, may be prohibited in the order and on the grounds
envisaged in the Federal Law on the Counteraction to the Extremist Activity.
Chapter
III. Rights and Conditions of Activity of
Religious Organizations
Article
15. Internal Regulations of Religious Organizations
(1) Religious
organizations shall operate in accordance with their internal regulations
unless these conflict with the laws of the Russian Federation, and shall
possess legal competence envisaged in their charters.
(2) The
state shall respect the internal regulations of religious organizations, unless
the said regulations run counter to the laws of the Russian Federation.
Article
16. Religious Rites and Ceremonies
(1) Religious
organizations shall have the right to open and maintain buildings and
structures of worship, other places and projects specially intended for acts of
worship, the meetings for saying prayers and other religious meetings,
religious worship.
(2) The
divine services, other religious rites and ceremonies shall be freely performed
at buildings and structures of worship and in the territories adjoining
thereto, other places made available to religious organizations for the said
purposes, at places of pilgrimage, agencies and enterprises of religious
organizations, cemeteries and crematoria as well as in living premises.
(3) Religious
organizations shall have the right to perform religious rites at medical and
prophylactic establishments, hospitals, orphanages, boarding houses for the
aged and invalids, at institutions enforcing criminal penalties in the form of
imprisonment at the request of their inmates in the rooms specially assigned by
the administration for the said purposes. The performance of religious rites in
the rooms of places of detention shall be allowed subject to the observance of
the requirements of the criminal and procedural legislation of the Russian Federation.
(4) The
command of military units shall not with due regard for the requirements of
military manuals prevent the servicemen from participation in the acts of
worship, other religious rites and ceremonies.
(5) In
other cases public worship, other religious rites and ceremonies shall be
performed according to the procedure established for conducting meetings,
operations and demonstrations.
Article 17. Religious Literature and
Objects of Religious Purpose
(1) Religious
organizations shall be entitled to manufacture, acquire, export, import and
disseminate religious literature, printed, audio and video materials and other
objects of religious purpose.
(2) Religious
organizations shall enjoy the exclusive right of establishing organizations
that print religious literature and manufacture objects of religious
veneration.
(3) The
literature, printed, audio and video materials produced by religious
organizations shall have the marking bearing the official name in full of the
given religious organization.
Article 18. Charities and Cultural and
Educational Activities of Religious Organizations
(1) Religious
organizations shall be entitled to pursue charitable activities both directly
and through the establishment of charitable institutions.
(2) To
implement their statutory objectives and tasks, religious organizations shall
according to the procedure established under the laws of the Russian Federation
have the right to set up cultural and enlightenment organizations, educational
and other establishments as well as open organs of mass media.
(3) The
state shall assist and support the charitable activities of religious
organizations as well as the realization by them of socially important cultural
and enlightenment programs and events.
Article
19. Institutions of Professional Religious Education
(1) Religious
organizations shall, acting in accordance with their charters, have the
exclusive right to set up religious educational establishments to train ministers
of religious worship and religious personnel.
(2) Establishments
of professional religious education shall be registered as religious
organizations and shall receive a government license for the right to engage in
the educational activities.
(3) The
citizens taking studies at full-time departments of the establishments of
professional religious educational institutions enjoying a government license
shall have the right to a deferment from military conscription in accordance
with the laws on military duty and service and other privileges envisaged under
the laws of the Russian
Federation.
Article
20. International Relations and Contacts
(1) Religious
organizations shall be entitled to establish and maintain international
relations and contacts, including for purposes of pilgrimage, participation in
meetings and other events, acquiring religious education as well as to invite
for the said purposes foreign citizens.
(2) Religious
organizations shall have an exclusive right to invite foreign citizens for
purposes of carrying on professional, including preaching, religious activities
in the given organizations according to the Federal Laws.
Article 21. Ownership of Religious Organizations
(1) The
ownership of religious organizations may include buildings, land plots,
projects of production, social, charitable, cultural-enlightenment and other
purposes, objects of religious purpose, monetary means and other property
essential for ensuring their activities, including that regarded as monuments
of history and culture.
(2) Religious
organizations shall be vested with the right of ownership in the property
acquired or created by them with their own means, donated by citizens,
organizations or passed over to religious organizations as ownership by the
state or acquired through any other means not prohibited under the laws of the Russian Federation.
(3) The
transfer into ownership of religious organizations for functional purposes of
buildings and structures of worship together with the land plots and other
property of religious purpose related thereto that used to be owned by the
state or the municipality shall be effected free of charge.
(4) Religious
organizations may also possess as their ownership property located abroad.
(5) The
personal and real property of religious purpose may not be charged under the
claims of creditors. The list of property of worship which may not be charged
under the claims of creditors shall be specified by the Government of the Russian Federation
in accordance with the proposals of religious organizations.
Article 22. Using the Property Owned by
the State Citizens and Their Associations
(1) Religious
organizations shall be entitled to make use for their needs of land plots,
buildings and property made available to them by the state, municipal, public
and other organizations and individuals as is envisaged under the laws of the Russian Federation.
(2) The
transfer to religious organizations for using according to their functional
purpose of buildings and structures of worship together with the land plots and
other property of religious purpose related thereto owned by the state or the
municipality shall be carried out free of charge.
Article 23. Business Activities of
Religious Organizations
Religious organizations shall be entitled to engage
in business activities and create their own enterprises according to the
procedure prescribed under the laws of the Russian Federation.
Article 24. Labor Legal Relationships in
Religious Organizations
(1) Religious
organizations shall in accordance with their charters have the right to make
employment contracts with their workers.
(2) The
conditions of work and remuneration shall be set in accordance with the laws of
the Russian Federation
in an employment contract to be made between a religious organization and
employee.
(3) The
citizens employed at religious organizations under employment contracts shall
be covered by the labor legislation of the Russian Federation.
(4) The
employees of religious organizations as well as the clergymen shall be covered
by social welfare, social insurance and pension maintenance as is provided
under the laws of the Russian
Federation.
Chapter IV.
Supervision and Control over the Implementation
of the Laws
on the Freedom of Conscience,
Faith and
Religious Associations
Article
25. Exercise of Supervision and Control
(1) The
supervision of the implementation of the laws of the Russian
Federation on the freedom of conscience, faith and
religious associations shall be the responsibility of the bodies of the
prosecutor’s office of the Russian
Federation.
(2) The
organ that has registered a religious organization shall exercise control over
the compliance thereby with the charter as regards the objectives and procedure
for its activities.
Article 26. Liability for the Violation of Laws on the
Freedom of Conscience, Faith and Religious Associations
The
violation of the laws of the Russian Federation
on the freedom of conscience, faith and religious associations shall entail
criminal, administrative and other liability in conformity with the laws of the
Russian Federation.
Article 27. Final Provisions
(1) This
Federal Law shall take effect from its official release in the press.
(2) The
Government of the Russian
Federation shall be required to adopt the regulatory
legal acts essential for the implementation of this Federal Law.
(3) The
charters and other constituent documents of religious organizations set up
prior to entry into effect of this Federal Law, shall be brought into line with
this Federal Law. The charters and other constituent documents of religious
organizations before they have been brought into accord with this Federal Law
shall be effective only in the part that does not conflict with this Federal
Law.
The new registration of religious organizations
concerning which there are grounds for their liquidation or banning their
activities, specified under Item 2 of Article 14 hereof, shall not be required.
Upon refusal to re-register for the said reasons, the body of registration
shall pass the materials over to the court.
Religious organizations that do not have a document
confirming their existence in the corresponding territory for not less than 15
years shall have the right of a legal entity provided they are re-registered
annually till the expiration of the said 15-years’ term.
In the given period the said religious organizations
shall not have the rights specified under Item 4 of Article 3, Items 3 and 4 of
Article 5, Item 5 of Article 13, Item 3 of Article 16, Items 1 and 2 of Article
17, Item 2 of Article 18 (with respect to educational establishments and mass
media), Article 19 and Item 2 of Article 20 hereof.
(4) The
government re-registration of religious organizations set up prior to the entry
into effect of this Federal Law shall be carried out not later than December
31, 2000 in accordance with the requirements of this Federal Law. Upon the
expiry of the indicated date the religious organizations that have not been
re-registered shall be subject to liquidation judicially by demand of the body
carrying out the state registration of religious organizations.
(5) To
declare as null and void the Law of RSFSR on the Freedom of Faith (Vedomosti of
the Congress of Peoples’ Deputies of RSFSR and the Supreme Soviet of RSFSR No.
21, item 240, 1990; Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation No. 5, item
346, 1995) and the Decision of the Supreme Soviet of RSFSR On the Procedure for
Putting into Effect of the Law of RSFSR on the Freedom of Faith (Vedomosti of
the Congress of Peoples’ Deputies of RSFSR and the Supreme Soviet of RSFSR No.
21, item 241, 1990) from the date of coming into force of this Federal Law.