Sounds like they are reviving the religious laws under Tsarist times. These will be used against anyone that the Russian Orthodox Church (which is a branch of the government) deems to be heretics or schismatics. That includes Catholics, Protestants, Old Believers, Dukhabors, etc. These laws won’t be used against moslems because Russia has had a long history of being warmly accommodating to moslems.
The Russian Orthodox Church has NOT been a branch of the government since 1917!!!!
Originally the Bolsheviks heavily persecuted the Church. Then—starting with WWII—Stalin encouraged the Church, in order to rally the people to fight the war. However, he put his agents (KGB) into the Church, and continued to persecute “noncompliant” believers (e.g., Solzhenitsyn).
The Church has been moving away form this subversion, especially after the fall of communism. But—as in Byzantium—it operates independently but in “symphony” with the state.
>>Sounds like they are reviving the religious laws under Tsarist times.
Yep, that’s what it sounds like to me too.
Ne-bu-chad-ne-zar!