Support The Moscow Times!

Prosecutors Say the Archpriest Who Compared Atheists to ‘Circus Bears’ Didn't Break Any Laws

Prosecutors in Penza are refusing to charge the local Russian Orthodox diocese with extremism after Archpriest Dmitry Smirnov compared atheists to circus bears, according to the RIA Novosti agency.

Previously, a lawyer in Penza appealed to police, demanding criminal charges against Smirnov for the statement, which the lawyer says qualifies as extremism.

In February 2015, the diocese published a transcript of a meeting between Smirnov and other clergy members, where the archpriest said, “Being married to an atheist is no different from being married to a circus bear. A bear is the kind of animal you’ve got to throw out after three years… That’s why it’s dangerous to marry this sort.”

The complaint against Smirnov’s comments was filed in June this year. In September, prosecutors determined that the comparison was not extremist in nature, refusing to open a misdemeanor case and declining even to consider a criminal investigation.

Earlier this year, a judge in Stavropol institutionalized a man named Viktor Krasnov in a psychiatric hospital against his will after he wrote the words “There is no God” in an online forum. Krasnov also called the Bible a “collection of Jewish fairy tales.”

A law prohibiting public insults to the feelings of religious people has been on the books in Russia since July 1, 2013.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more