The Federation Council's Economic Policy Committee has endorsed and recommended that the upper house of parliament approve a law prohibiting the privatization of religious property that is state or municipally owned. The law will come into effect upon its official publication.
The bill was initiated by a group of deputies from various factions and was introduced to the State Duma on May 30, 2023. The lower house of parliament passed the law on June 11. According to the accompanying materials, the current legislation allows for the sale of religious property by the state or local governments to private owners, who can then repurpose the property for uses incompatible with its religious nature (e.g., converting churches into restaurants, bars, fitness clubs, etc.), which could offend religious sentiments (Article 148 of the Russian Criminal Code).
The new legislation imposes a direct ban on the privatization of religious property owned by the state or municipalities. Any transactions involving the alienation of religious property can be declared invalid by a court for each specific property. This ban applies to legal relations arising after the federal law No. 327 "On the Transfer of Religious Property to Religious Organizations, Owned by the State or Municipalities" came into effect on November 30, 2010.
The law also addresses situations where former religious buildings or apartments within them have been privatized and are currently inhabited. In such cases, the ban on privatization will only apply to contracts signed after the federal law No. 327 came into force.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Moscow-Live/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS