Russia informs ECtHR about legality of ban on reading Bible in Sochi cafe

Alexei Kolyasnikov, a pastor from Sochi, was supposed to notify the authorities on holding a public event. This was stated by a Russian representative to the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) in response to the ECtHR's question concerning the legality of the position of Russian courts which fined the pastor after the collective reading of the Bible in a cafe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 14, 2015, the ECtHR registered a complaint filed by Pastor Alexei Kolyasnikov from Sochi, who was fined by the Russian courts by 30,000 roubles for reading the Bible in a cafe.

The ECtHR has communicated the complaint filed by Alexei Kolyasnikov and inquired whether the position of the Russian authorities towards participants in the collective reading of the Bible should be treated as a violation.

In his replies to the ECtHR's questions, Mikhail Galperin, the Russian representative to the ECtHR, has stated that only a protocol on failure to notify the authorities on organization of a public event was drawn up against Alexei Kolyasnikov. Since it was a public event using audio equipment which was held in the cafe, then its organizer should have notified the authorities, the "Vedomosti" reports.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.