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NEWS/Pavel Bednyakov
The Public chamber Commission on harmonization of interethnic and interreligious relations, took the initiative to toughen punishment for violation of public order at religious, national and Patriotic values. As have informed “news” the Chairman of the Commission Joseph Diskin, in the near future proposals will be submitted to the state Duma. They are based on the principle of separation of public spaces.
Is the only way to stop people for whom religious and national values are important, to feel slighted, — said Iosif Diskin. — Costumed girls did not dance in the Church and to make it clear why it is unacceptable. And why it is necessary to toughen sanctions for insulting the national and Patriotic feelings. In the near future we will work on this with the state Duma Committee on civil society development issues, public and religious associations.
In Russia, insulting the feelings of believers provides for administrative liability in 2013 after high-profile cases of dancing in the temple of Christ the Savior and the criminal. According to the Chairman of Commission OP, by analogy it is necessary to introduce liability for insulting other senses. In particular, the Patriotic — for example, if someone cooks the pigeons on the Eternal flame. In this case, the entrances to temples, museums, places, “having a national or Patriotic significance”, must be placed the warning that violation of the rules of conduct is punishable by the Administrative code, and in some instances Criminal.
— I believe that if you repeated or particularly cynical violation must be criminal liability, — said Iosif Diskin.
According to him, the Commission came to the view that it is necessary to develop the relevant amendments to KoAP and the criminal code. In addition, the ground rules can set the regional and municipal authorities, he said.
Iosif Diskin noted that in the same way should be protected from abuse and cultural space, even if there are performances that one does not like.
— The concept of “offending religious feelings” should not touch the content of the play. Don’t like the setting — protest at the entrance to the Museum, — said Iosif Diskin. —Register rally, exhort those who there goes. Without the use of physical force. Theatre, concert hall — this is social space of those who came, who paid the money, made your choice. Monuments of history and culture should be protected by law. Disorderly conduct in a Museum, not to mention the damage to the Museum’s treasures, it is unacceptable.
First Vice-President of Commission OP Maxim Grigoriev told “Izvestia” that it should make a list of actions that are unacceptable by society, regardless of the object and the political views of the people.
We know the examples of deliberate abuse of the great Patriotic war monuments, military graves. But there were occasions when insulted monuments to victims of political repression, which also caused the negative attitude of certain parts of society. And both should be the same punishment. Under the protection of the law should fall and Museum exhibitions, and theater productions. Through legislation and work with public opinion, it is necessary to exclude attempts of intentional abuse of any sites. The main issue is to create an atmosphere of public opposition to these actions. Until we see that various social groups are one and the same action is considered normal, if aimed at the same object, and it is absolutely unacceptable if on the other — said Maxim Grigoriev.
The state Duma Committee on civil society development issues, public and religious associations, said that he would discuss the proposals of the Public chamber, however, noted that the idea of introducing new penalties are treated with caution.
— You need to identify the objects of regulation. Now produced by law enforcement practice on religious feelings. This is a very difficult question, — told “Izvestia” Chairman of the Committee Sergei Gavrilov. — We are too carried away with the tougher penalties in Administrative and Criminal codes. We need a system not only penalties, but also incentives. Tightening we will not achieve the desired objectives. And in the field of culture need to be careful. We must still determine whether to protect and is generally regarded as objects of culture provocative performances.
The MP also said that the concept of “public morality” and “traditional values” need to be introduced to the law “as something that requires support, care and — if necessary- protection.”
But swinging a cudgel of punishment must still selectively and carefully. And you have to understand that any measure, particularly with regard to punishment, must be shared by a significant part of our society, especially the traditionally minded. But if the subject of the sentence is unclear for the population, you should not indulge in this. There have been a lot of precedents, when the hooligans and provocateurs from the so-called art offended public morals. And it is important that the law not become an instrument of protection of the actions of provocateurs, — concluded Sergey Gavrilov.
— Maybe there is a need for such amendments for the law implementation, — told “Izvestia” a member of the Committee, the Deputy from the LDPR Ivan Sukharev. But the question is moot. We have a “great” works and article 282 (“inciting hatred or hostility, and humiliation of human dignity”), which often fall under the criminal liability of innocent people. We have the census you can be behind bars. At the same time, often those who offend the feelings of the people, not just believers, take responsibility. The question is largely for law enforcement. How would the proposed rule work? And not fall under her mass of people, who did not want to do anything wrong? Such initiatives have been widely discussed, I think this should be done at the venue of our Committee with the involvement of NGOs and representatives of law enforcement agencies.
First Deputy Chairman of Committee Dmitry Vyatkin has declared “news” that did not yet see a pressing need to add some new penalties to the sanctions that are in existing legislation.
Recall that part 2 of article 5.26 of the administrative code provides for up to 120 hours of compulsory work, or up to 200 thousand rubles fine for “deliberate public desecration of religious or liturgical literature, objects of religious veneration, signs or emblems of ideological symbols and attributes or their damage or destruction”.
Introduced in the UK in 2013, article 148 (“violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion”) establishes penalties for “public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed to insult the religious feelings of believers” in the form of three years of imprisonment.