NTV

July 20, 1997

[translation for personal use only]

>From the "Itogi" newscast

For the first time in many decades the Russian Church has drawn the attention of politicians, including American ones. Attempts are made once more to exploit the church. Freedom of conscience is now another field for political intrigues.

[Begin recording] [Correspondent Yevgeniy Revenko] This week in Russia miraculous events took place. The state began to actively interfere in church affairs, while the United States has lost its selfless feelings and tried to refuse Russia aid. After the Duma adopted an edited version of the law on the freedom of conscience, it is time for the President either to sign or decline the document. [passage omitted]

Patriarch urged President to sign it, while the Pope to decline it. Reasons for both moves reported Washington added fuel to the fire. The Senators, defending the forgotten Catholics, called on the President to decline the law. Otherwise they would not give us the $200 million aid they promised. Communist Viktor Ilyukhin intervened at this point. We will now see what the President will do, whether he will get frightened or not, he said. Now Boris Yeltsin is in a complex situation. In not signing it he would be obeying the Americans, but in signing it, he would be giving the go-ahead to a bad law infringing the Constitution.

[Vladimir Lukin, chairman of the Duma Committee for International Affairs] Why is the US reaction extremely bad and unacceptable? Because the Americans are interfering in our internal process. They are not just interfering, but interfering in a very bad way. So, the question arises: am I saying all this because I am afraid of the Americans. I do not care twopence about them. [end recording]

[Revenko] Both the Americans and the Duma have failed to mind their own business. They wished to fight harmful sects and to defend the Catholics. But they have violated the rights of most believers. [passage omitted] [end recording]

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Johnson's Russia List

#1077

23 July 1997

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