Evangelical Christians in Russia were forced to pay a “tax on faithfulness” last year.
That’s according to persecution watchdog Voice of the Martyrs Korea (VOMK) which warns the ‘tax’ will be even higher this year.
It said it was part of a government crackdown on non-Orthodox faiths.
“Across the Russian Federation in 2022, basic Christian activities — like gathering for worship, distributing Bibles and Christian literature, and personal evangelism — were investigated by Russian police and punished as crimes by Russian courts of law,” says VOMK representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley.
“Believers paid fines, appealed their decisions, and in most cases lost their appeals. It is a trend that Voice of the Martyrs Korea is monitoring closely as 2023 begins,” he added.
Worthy News reports Christian groups are being fined whenever Moscow needs additional funds to finance its war in Ukraine.
It suggests that fines for alleged crimes are nothing more than taxes.
Most fines are around A$100 which is a significant amount for most Russians.
One believer was fined for ‘missionary activities’ after distributing a Christian newspaper printed through a registered media company.
Others had to pay penalties for activities also included holding worship services, organising concerts, and speaking with people who were not members of their church.
Most of those charged were ordered to immediately cease those activities.
VOMK’s Dr. Foley notes that Article 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the equality of the rights of citizens, regardless of their attitude to religion and beliefs.
“It says that any form of restriction of the rights of citizens on the grounds of religious affiliation is prohibited. But in 2022, authorities across Russia visited not only the churches and homes, but even the workplaces of evangelical Christian believers, interrogating them and charging them with crimes.”
“These believers were not demonstrating in the public square or evangelising passers-by on street corners,” Dr. Foley adds.
“They were worshiping in their homes and church buildings and offering Christian literature in their shops.”
