No evangelism outside churches in Russia — religious freedom restrained as new law goes into effect

A package of anti-terror laws has taken effect in Russia last week. Authored to protect Russia's information sovereignty, the law, however, restricts the freedom of evangelization for all religions, excluding Russian Orthodox, unless in places of worship.

As part of its anti-terrorism campaign, Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a legislation in June, and has put the law into full force starting July 20.  According to The Guardian, the lower house of parliament voted 325 to 1 to adopt the "Yarovaya law," a package of amendments authored by Irina Yarovaya, a leading member of the ruling "United Russia" party who is known to target religious groups outside the Russian Orthodox church. The legislation was adopted and amended as a response to the bombing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last year. 

"Today it has become clear that information technologies are being monopolized. It is a dangerous trend, which makes it possible to shelter criminals and offers free access to information provided by our citizens to foreign subjects. This information is accumulated in foreign countries, which use it at their own discretion," Yarovaya tells TASS.

However, the legislation has been fiercely condemned both by Russian Christians and rights activists worldwide — sharing the gospel other than a government-recognized church, specifically at home, or online is now considered illegal. Also known as the Big Brother law, the government has the right to do a widespread surveillance and decode online religious activities that are deemed punishable for extremism and terrorism.

In a report by Breitbart News, the law will affect evangelical groups and Jehovah's Witnesses who often share faith in homes rather than traditional churches.

Sergei Ryakhovsky, head of the Protestant Churches of Russia, and other church leaders stated in a letter to Putin, posted on the Russian site Portal-Credo, as reported by Christian Today:

"The obligation on every believer to have a special permit to spread his or her beliefs ... creates the basis for mass persecution of believers for violating these provisions. Soviet's history shows us how many people of different faiths have been persecuted for spreading the Word of God. This law brings us back to a shameful past," they added.