European Court Finds Russian Town Violated Church's Rights

Last week, in Case of Barankevich v. Russia, (ECHR, July 26, 2007), the European Court of Human Rights found that Russian government officials violated the European Convention on Human Rights when they refused to permit the pastor of the Christ's Grace Church of Evangelical Christians to hold a worship service in a park in the town of Chekov. The Chekov Town Council had taken the position that services should be held only on the Church's own premises. The European Court rejected the town's argument that because the religion was practiced by only a minority of the town's residents, a public service might provoke a violent counter-demonstration. The Court found that the town's refusal violated Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (right to peaceably assemble), interpreted in light of Article 9 (freedom of religion). The Court awarded damages of 6000 Euros to compensate the pastor, Petr Ivanovich Barankevich, for the violation. Forum 18 today carries a long report on the decision.