Situation in Russia. A Country Report by YABLOKO leader Dr. Sergei Mitrokhin
Liberal International 190th Executive. Published on April 26, 2013
…But I should note that the reaction of Vladimir Putin’s regime to the mass protests was not only intensification of reprisals. Putin responded to the challenge with a specific state ideology based on aggressive clericalism and complete denial of the liberal values. This is a significant difference from the policies of ex President Medvedev who often appealed to the liberal values.
Orthodoxy has been exploited by the regime in a very specific way. The emphasis is laid on its contraposition to the Western values and way of life. This “sacred resource” provides the authorities an ideological basis for criticism of the human rights concept, as well as political systems based on respect for civil liberties…
…New evidence of the growth of aggressive clericalism has been emerging every day. The Russian parliament adopted a law envisaging five years of imprisonment for the injury of religious beliefs and feelings. However, the law protects only “traditional confessions” and Russian
Orthodoxy in the first place. It is obvious that opponents of clericalisation of the state will become the first victims of this vague norm based on subjective estimates…
Situation in Russia. A Country Report by YABLOKO leader Dr. Sergei Mitrokhin
Posted: April 27th, 2013 under Russia-Eu relations, Understanding Russia.