Russian freedom violations condemned

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly March 15 to call on Russian officials to work more diligently to protect religious freedom across their nation. The resolution, passed 411–1, expressed the sense of the House that “the Russian Federation should fully protect the freedoms of all religious communities without distinction, whether registered [or] unregistered, as stipulated by the Russian Constitution and international standards.”

The resolution asserts that, among other violations, “over the past 2 years there have been an estimated 10 arson attacks on unregistered Protestant churches, with little or no effective response by law enforcement officials to bring the perpetrators to justice.” (ABP)