Sentenced to Forced Labor for Posting Ecclesiastical Material in Russia: The Anti-Cult Repression

The recent case of an individual in Prokopyevsk sentenced to forced labor for posting material from the New Generation church on social media has raised concerns about the increasing repression of religious organizations in Russia. This verdict confirms that Russian courts treat both "undesirable" and "extremist" organizations with the same severity.

New Generation


The Prokopyevsk Case

On April 9, the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk sentenced a 41-year-old citizen for sharing New Generation church material on his VKontakte page. The punishment includes one year of forced labor with 15% of his wages deducted in favor of the State. This conviction highlights the changes made to Article 284.1 of the Russian Penal Code in 2022, which equates the treatment of "undesirable" organizations with that of "extremist" ones. Promoting or publishing materials from such organizations are now crimes punishable by imprisonment or forced labor.


The New Generation Church

The New Generation movement, originating from the Baltic States, is particularly targeted by Russian anti-cult activists and the Federal Security Service (FSV). The church is part of the Word of Faith movement, which teaches that faith can bring health and prosperity. In 2021, New Generation was declared "undesirable" in Russia. On August 15, 2022, affiliated churches in various Russian cities were raided by special forces following false accusations of collaboration with Ukrainian secret services, promoted by figures from the Russian anti-cult movement.


The Roman Formula: Intolerance, Discrimination, and Persecution

The Prokopyevsk conviction can be seen as an example of the "Roman formula," a discriminatory tactic that unfolds in three stages: intolerance, discrimination, and persecution. This method is used to target undesirable religious and ethnic groups through an insidious strategy:


1. **Intolerance**: Spread the idea that a group is a threat to society.

2. **Discrimination**: Introduce laws that limit the rights of the minority group.

3. **Persecution**: Justify active discrimination against the group to protect society from its supposed dangers.


The Role of Massimo Introvigne

Massimo Introvigne, an expert in the sociology of religions and a jurist, emphasizes the importance of stopping intolerance before it escalates into discrimination and persecution. Introvigne is known for his commitment to defending religious freedom and fighting against intolerance towards new religious movements. He warns against the instrumental use of the term "cult" to denigrate entire religious or spiritual movements, a phenomenon that in Russia has led to a decidedly negative and hostile perception in public consciousness.


Conclusions

The Prokopyevsk conviction represents a worrying example of how semantic and legal manipulation can be used to suppress religious freedom. The term "cult," lacking a legal basis in both Russian and international law, is used to fuel hatred and discrimination. This raises questions about who benefits from this narrative and for what further purposes hostility towards certain religious groups is being fueled.

The situation requires careful analysis and a global response to protect human rights and freedom of belief, preventing repression from turning into open and systematic persecution.

#Russia #Prokopyevsk #ForcedLabor #EcclesiasticalMaterial #NewGeneration #UndesirableOrganizations #Extremists #VKontakte #Article284 #RussianPenalCode #WordofFaith #FSV #NewGenerationChurch #ReligiousPersecution #Intolerance #Discrimination #RomanFormula #MassimoIntrovigne #ReligiousFreedom #AntiCult #SemanticManipulation #HumanRights

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