Registration of religious organizations

Problems in decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and ECtHR

Abstract

This article reflects on some modern legal forms of activities of religious associations and problems of their registration. It focuses on the questions of legal backgrounds for the exercise of freedom of conscience in Russia, international standards of the activities of religious organizations, collective forms of freedom of conscience and religion in the court’s decisions. Finally, it discusses the need to amend the existing Russian legislation that does not comply with the principle of secularism enshrined in the 1993 Constitution.