It was reported in December that Russian security agencies are using sweeping surveillance powers to impose harsh restrictions on evangelical Christian groups in the name of tackling vaguely defined ‘extremist’ activities.
The ‘Yarovaya Law’, introduced in 2016, imposes tough fines and potential expulsion from Russia, and places heightened restrictions on religious groups including requiring an official permit to meet outside officially-registered religious buildings.
This effectively bans meetings held in Christians’ homes as well as criminalising house churches.
The law gives security agencies access to private communications held by telecom companies including phone conversations and text messages. Concerns have been raised that email and other electronic communications inviting interested individuals to church services could also be banned.
Russian Orthodox leaders have also raised alarms over the draconian law.
A pastor of a registered Protestant church in Moscow said: ‘… almost every Sunday a police squad interrupts our services’.
A study of the law’s impact found no religious extremist or terrorist cases, just harsh restrictions that have been placed on Christians for legitimate and harmless activities.
But Russia’s President Vladimir Putin pledged ‘do everything’ to protect Christians facing severe persecution in the Middle East at a meeting with church leaders in Hungary on 30 October.
