ICC Note: Christian pastor Pavel Pilipchuk was recently released from his five-day prison sentence in the city of Orel, Russia. In August of 2014, Pilipchuk was fined approximately two weeks’ pay for reportedly conducting a public worship session without notifying city officials first. When the pastor refused to fine, the amount doubled and he was eventually sentenced to the prison sentence.
By Victoria Arnold
05/01/2015 Russia (Forum 18) – Baptist pastor Pavel Pilipchuk completed a five-day prison term on 18 April, fellow Council of Churches Baptists told Forum 18 News Service from the Russian city of Orel on 1 May. He was punished by an Orel court for refusing to pay a fine he insists was unjustly imposed for allegedly organising an open-air meeting for worship without informing the city administration beforehand. He had been fined about two weeks’ average wages in August 2014 – a fine later doubled for non-payment.
“Half the fine has now been removed from him, as if he had paid it,” Baptists told Forum 18. “20,000 Roubles for five days’ imprisonment! But the original 20,000 Roubles remains. He’ll continue to appeal against this.”
Exercising freedom of religion or belief in public spaces continues to attract hostile attention from law enforcement agencies, often leading to administrative prosecutions and five-figure fines. Legal amendments were introduced in October 2014 in an attempt to clarify where religious ceremonies may be freely held and to specify that not all events require prior notification of the authorities (see F18News 2 March 2015 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2044).
Judging by court verdicts from early 2015, however, these changes have as yet had little apparent effect, Forum 18 has found. A total of 13 individuals – nine Jehovah’s Witnesses and four Muslims – are known to have been fined since the beginning of 2015 for holding public religious events, Forum 18 notes. Unsuccessful attempts were made to punish three more – two Jehovah’s Witnesses and one Protestant.
