Dmitry Peskov
The Kremlin will not respond to the question of the journalist Vladimir Pozner about whether legally in Russia to declare their atheistic beliefs. This statement was made by press Secretary of the President Dmitry Peskov, quoted by the correspondent of”.ru”.
According to the official, “this is probably a rhetorical question,” he relates to the judiciary and is not within the competence of the presidential administration.
May 15, Pozner has commented on the decision of the court in the case of blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky. He was found guilty in particular of insulting religious feelings (article 148 of the criminal code) and given a suspended sentence. The Russian service “Bi-bi-si” has led several fragments of sentence. Among them were these: “[In the video Sokolowski] present the information contain the signs of insult to the feelings of adherents of Christianity and Islam, generated through the denial of God’s existence”, “[blogger] denies the existence of Jesus and the prophet Muhammad thus had committed a crime, provided by part 1 of article 148 of the Penal code.”
Posner, drawing attention to these facts, noted that he is an atheist who doesn’t hide his beliefs. In this regard, the reporter wanted clarification, does he thereby the criminal code. “Maybe the Patriarch will tell you, if I insult his religious feelings, arguing that there is no God? Maybe the President of the constitutional court will tell me if I have the right to think what I think and Express what I Express? Maybe the President will bring clarity, not expecting me in court,” wrote the presenter.
Later, the press Secretary of the head of the ROC Alexander Volkov said to RIA Novosti, Pozner “has always made an impression of an intelligent man, despite his known to all non-religious beliefs.” “I really do not want to change their attitude towards him as a person of deep intellect. Because, of course, these statements sound rather strange,” — said the representative of the Church.