Yeltsin Kills Plan To Limit Free Religion Bill Targeted ‘Radical Sects,’ Drew Protests From Pope, U.S.

President Boris Yeltsin vetoed a law Tuesday that would have sharply restricted the practice of all but a few specified “traditional” religions in Russia. His action followed weeks of controversy and criticism by human rights activists that Russia was on the verge of returning to its authoritarian past.

The measure also drew strong protests from Pope John Paul II and the U.S. Senate.

Yeltsin said in a statement that “numerous provisions of the bill curb constitutional human and civil rights and freedoms, make confessions unequal and are inconsistent with Russia’s international commitments.”

Signing the bill could “trigger religious strife in the country,” he added.

Yeltsin proposed unspecified changes in the measure to reach a compromise with Parliament, the Interfax news agency reported. It also said Yeltsin felt some law was needed to prevent “radical sects” from harming public health and morals.

“There can be no democratic society where the interests of any minorities … are not protected,” Yeltsin said in an appeal to the Parliament, which passed the bill by big enough margins in both houses to potentially override the veto.

The vetoed bill would have restricted religious organizations that were not officially registered at least 15 years ago. Among those qualifying would be the Russian Orthodox Church, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and the Baptist groups that cooperated with the Soviet state.

But for other organized religions, numerous bureaucratic steps would be needed to win permission to preach, proselytize or build and run a place of worship.