Article 28 of the Russian Constitution specifies that everyone is guaranteed the right to freedom of conscience, to freedom of religious worship, including the right to profess, individually or jointly with others, any religion, or to profess no religion. The Federal Law On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations was adopted in furtherance of this provision of the Constitution.
In accordance with Article 2 of this Federal Law, laws and other enactments adopted by the Russian Federation and addressing the exercise of rights to freedom of conscience and freedom of religious worship, as well as the work of religious organisations, must be in line with this law.
Based on the preamble of the Federal Law On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations, Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism are an integral part of the historical heritage of the peoples of Russia.
With regard to the above and with the aim of providing equal respect to global traditional religions, the draft law will state that content and citations from the Bible, Quran, Torah and Kangyur, which constitute the spiritual foundations of the aforementioned religions, cannot be considered extremist materials.
The concept of the draft law was approved by representatives from Russia’s centralised religious organisations.