USCIRF releases report on the impact of Russian anti-extremism policies on freedom of religion or belief

On February 12, 2018, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the report Inventing Extremists. The Impact of Russian Anti-Extremism Policies on Freedom of Religion or Belief by SOVA Center expert Maria Kravchenko prepared with a contribution from our expert Olga Sibireva.

The report reviews both the legislation and the law enforcement practice applied by the state while countering so-called "religious extremism". Being based on the SOVA Center’s material, the report however does not encompass all the subjects covered on our website.

The report describes the way the Russian anti-extremist laws were used against certain Muslim groups, Jehovah’s Witnesses and some other denominations as well as the cases on "insulting the feelings of believers" in the period of 2011- May 2017. In addition, the background since 2002 when the federal law on countering extremist activity came into force is provided.

The report is available at the USCIRF website in PDF.

The Russian version will be later published on our website.