US Baptist preacher Donald Ossewaarde has filed an application to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that his right to religious freedom has been violated.
Mr Ossewaarde had held weekly Bible meetings at his home in the Russian city of Oryol, 300 kilometres south of Moscow, for many years before being found guilty of conducting illegal missionary activities by a local court. He is the first US missionary to fall victim to ‘counter-terrorism’ laws that the Russian government introduced in July, 2016.
“Freedom of religion is one of the most fundamental rights,” said Laurence Wilkinson, legal counsel for ADF International, the lead lawyer supporting Ossewarde in his case. “Nobody should be persecuted because of their faith. Despite the Russian Constitution guaranteeing freedom of conscience and religion for all, Donald Ossewaarde has been charged with a criminal offence for holding a peaceful church service in his own home. His conviction is a hugely concerning development for religious freedom across Russia in general, and for Christian missionaries in particular.”
Mr Wilkinson added that an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights represented “a last resort in challenging a law that appears to violate the fundamental right of religious freedom in Russia”.
“As a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights, the Russian government should reconsider the scope of its counter-terrorism laws to guarantee the right to freedom of religion for all of its inhabitants. While the new legislation aims to prevent terrorist activity, it has had a devastating effect on religious activities that cannot be considered dangerous in any sense, as Donald Ossewaarde’s case and many others prove.”
