Moscow clamps down on Salvation Army
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, September 12, 2001
Associated Press
MOSCOW — A Moscow court on Wednesday ordered the Salvation Army to shut down its operations in the Russian capital in the latest fallout from a strict 1997 law that has raised concerns about religious freedom in Russia.
After two years of legal wrangling, Judge Svetlana Grigoryeva reached a ruling quickly in Wednesday’s proceedings in the Tagansky district court, the Salvation Army’s headquarters for Eastern Europe said in a statement.
The Moscow government sought to shut down the Salvation Army, accusing it of not registering on time and failing to regularly report its activities to authorities.
The missionary group, which operates soup kitchens and does other charity work, says the Moscow government unfairly denied it registration based on the 1997 law. The group said it would appeal the ruling.
It was unclear what immediate effect the ruling would have on the Salvation Army’s religious services and aid work with the homeless, elderly and prison inmates in Moscow.
The 1997 law, championed by the influential Russian Orthodox Church, requires all religious groups to register with Russian authorities. Several groups, particularly foreign-based, have had legal troubles since it was passed and say it limits religious freedoms won with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Salvation Army is also active in other Russian regions where it has not had serious registration troubles.
Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
