ADYGEA PASTORS ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL EVANGELISM
Four religious figures from [the republic of] Adygea have become subjects of administrative cases regarding missionary activity. This refers to pastors of several evangelical churches.
In Maikop, administrative materials have been collected with regard to Konsantin Loskutov, who, according to information from Kavkaz.Realii's source, is a pastor of the "Fellowship of Christian Businessmen."
The court is also considering an administrative case regarding illegal evangelism with regard to Fedor Andronovich, a bishop of the Russian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith Pentecostals, a presbyter of the Kuban department. In conversation with Kavkaz.Realii he refused to comment before the court's verdict is issued.
In addition, yesterday administrative cases based on an article about illegal missionary activity was introduced in the Takhtamukai district court of Adygea with regard to Dmitry Armianinov and Sergei Tereshchenko. According to Andronovich, these men are not pastors of the church of evangelical Christians; their religious affiliation is not indicated in publicly available sources.
At the present time, administrative materials are not being reviewed. The accused face fines of from 5 to 50 thousand rubles.
--Since the summer of 2016, missionary activity in Russia has been regulated by a law from the antiterrorist "Yarovaya Package." The law forbids preaching in residential buildings and conducting missionary activity that threatens public safety or calls for extremism and destruction of the family.
--Earlier, a court in Novorossiisk ordered the deportation from Russia of American citizens who during a trip to Krasnodar territory visited a worship service of the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
--In February 2021, a 63-year-old resident of the village of Kholmsk of Krasnodar territory received a maximum sentence for conducting an online study of the Bible: 7.5 years in a penal colony.
--In Krasnodar territory, a pastor of the "New Generation" church of Evangelical Christians from Temriuk, Andrei Burnaevsky, was fined 5,000 rubles for illegal missionary activity. (tr. by PDS, posted 25 June 2021)
Editorial disclaimer: RRN does
not intend to certify the accuracy of information
presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the
accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the
articles as they appeared in news media of countries of
the former USSR.
If material is quoted, please give credit to the
publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit
this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please
include reference to the URL,
https://www2.stetson.edu/religious-news/