Abstract
The article conducts a comparative criminal law research of ensuring freedom of religion in Ukraine and in some foreign countries. International standards for the protection of religious freedom are analyzed. It is concluded that this right is fundamental and should be ensured at the appropriate level by all states of the civilized world. The object of the study is the right of a person to freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine. In carrying out this research, a comparative legal method was widely used, which allowed for a two-level analysis (empirical and theoretical) of legal systems of Ukraine and some foreign countries in terms of ensuring freedom of religion by criminal law, to identify original and specific manifestations of such support, to determine the patterns of development of criminal legislation of individual countries and to establish relations with international standards for the protection of religious freedom. In addition, a formal-legal method was used, which made it possible to classify and systematize the researched criminal law norms, and a method of interpretation, which allowed to clarify the content of certain norms of criminal law. As a result of the research, some gaps and advantages of domestic legislation in terms of criminal law ensuring the right to freedom of religion were identified, it is established that the modern criminal law of Ukraine in general meets international standards for the protection of the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of religion, but there are some shortcomings in terms of unambiguous understanding of the elements of crimes that infringe on freedom of religion. This makes it difficult to apply the law. In particular, there are a significant number of evaluative features of the corpus delicti that need to be clarified and cannot be clearly defined by a literal interpretation of the criminal law.
References
Annual report of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada on the state of observance and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms in Ukraine, 2019. http://ck-oda.gov.ua/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/zvit-za-2019.pdf
Aryamov, A.A., Rueva, E.O., Ponomarenko, V.S. Variation on the topic of criminal law protection of religious freedom in the Russian Federation. Bulletin of Higher Educational Institutions, 2014, 4-16, 13.
Belgian Criminal Code, 1867. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/41/Belgium/show.
Bilash, O.V. Criminal legal characterization of illegal actions concerning religious buildings or shrines. Uzhhorod: Oleksandra Garkusha Publishing House, 2015.
Bondarenko, V.E. Violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion: the problem of determining the basis of criminal law protection. Bulletin of the Saratov State Law Academy, 2014, 2(97), 202-205.
Borzenkov, G.N., Komyssarov, V.S. Criminal Law Course. Moscow: Zerczalo-M, 2002.
Charter of The United Nations, 1945. https://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/un-charter-full-text/index.html
Constitution of Ukraine, 1996. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/254%D0%BA/96-%D0%B2%D1%80#Text.
Convention against Discrimination in Education, 1960. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12949&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989. https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text
Criminal Code of Argentina, 1984. http://servicios.infoleg.gob.ar/infolegInternet/anexos/15000-19999/16546/texact.htm.
Criminal Code of Georgia, 1999. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1241370&subID=100095257,100095259,100095266,100095432,100095479#text.
Criminal Code of Japan, 1907. http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail_main?re=02&ia=03&vm=02&id=1960.
Criminal Code of Norway, 1981. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/11/Norway/show.
Criminal Code of Spain, 1995. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/2/Spain/show.
Criminal Code of Sweden, 1962. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/1/Sweden/show.
Criminal Code of Switzerland, 1937. http://www.duribonin.ch/docs/StrafrechtAllgemeinerTeil.pdf.
Criminal Code of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1971. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/28/Germany/show.
Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, 1997. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1243545&subID=100107331,100107333,100107340,100107364,100108154 #text.
Criminal Code of the Netherlands, 1881. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/12/Netherlands/show.
Criminal Code of the People’s Republic of China, 1979. https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/cgvienna/eng/dbtyw/jdwt/crimelaw/t209043.htm.
Criminal Code of the Republic of Bulgaria, 1968. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1245689&subID=100109090,100109258,100109290,100109347,100109718#text
Criminal Code of the Republic of Korea, 1998. https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/3f49e3ed4.pdf.
Criminal Code of the Republic of Latvia, 1998. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1243424&subID=100106935,100106943,100106961,100107093#text.
Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova, 2002. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1241144&subID=100093634,100093636,100094088,100094144#text.
Criminal Code of the Republic of Poland, 1997. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/10/Poland/show.
Criminal Code of the Republic of San Marino, 2008. https://www.legislationline.org/download/id/6848/file/San%20Marino_law_on_prevention_elimination_violence_against_women_gender_violence_2008_en.pdf.
Criminal Code of Ukraine, 2001. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2341-14#Text.
Danish Penal Code, 2005. https://www.legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes/country/34/Denmark/show.
Declaration of Principles on Tolerance, 1995. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=13175&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, 1981. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ReligionOrBelief.aspx
Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, 1992. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/Minorities.aspx
Dejvys, D. The Evolution of Religious Freedom as a Universal Human Right. A Study on the Role of the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief. Moscow: Novaya yustycyya, 2006.
Demyanov, Ye. The SBU interrogated about two dozen priests of the UOC-MP, 2018. https://www.unn.com.ua/uk/news/1766247-sbu-dopitala-blizko-dvokh-desyatkiv-svyaschennikiv-upts-mp
Fedotova, Yu. EInsulting the religious feelings of believers and criminal law: work on mistakes. Legal Science and Law Enforcement Practice, 2016, 1(35), 199-20.
Fisun, Yu.Yu. International legal regulation of the institute of religious security. Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Kyiv: Institute of Legislation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 2005.
French Criminal Code, 1994. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006070719&dateTexte=20200807.
Ilyin, E.P. Emotions and feelings. St. Petersburg: Piter-press, 2008.
In Ukraine, the number of unregistered religious communities has increased - statistics from the Ministry of Culture. 2020. https://www.irs.in.ua/ua/statistics-of-religious-organizations-in-ukraine-2020
Information of the Verkhovna Rada of the USSR (VVR). https://cyclop.com.ua/content/view/990/58/1/4/#6528.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1973. http://www.un.org.ua/images/International_Covenant_on_Civil_and_Political_Rights_CCPR_eng1.pdf
Lashchuk, E.V. The subject of a crime in the criminal law of Ukraine: thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Kyiv: National Academy of Internal Affairs, 2005.
Lykhova, S.Ya. Crimes in the sphere of realization of civil, political and social rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen (Section V of the Special Part of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Kyiv: Publishing and printing center “Kyyivskyj universytet”, 2006.
Maklakov, A.G. General psychology. St. Petersburg: Piter, 2000.
Malyshko, V.M. The constitutional human right to freedom of thought and religion: thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Kyiv: V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law, 2005.
Markin, V.I. Criminal legal protection of religious freedom in Ukraine. Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Lviv: Lviv State University of Internal Affairs Institutional Repository (LvSUIAIR), 2012.
Marysyuk, K. Criminal liability for violation of legislation in the field of religious freedom in the post-Soviet states. Law of Ukraine, 2003, 9, 32-34.
Mazurenko, A. The SBU is searching the apartment of the head of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, 2018. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2018/11/30/7199786/.
Ostrovsky, A.S. Criminal liability for violation of the human right to freedom of religion under the criminal law of Ukraine. Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Lviv: Lviv State University of Internal Affairs Institutional Repository (LvSUIAIR), 2014.
Paliy, M.V. Crime in the field of religion and the fight against it. Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Kyiv: V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law, 2002.
Pankevich, V.M. Criminal-legal characteristics of violation of equality of citizens depending on their racial, national affiliation or attitude to religion. Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Kyiv: Institute of Legislation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 2010.
Pchelyncev, A.V. Freedom of religion and activities of religious associations in the Russian Federation: constitutional and legal framework. Moscow: Yurisprudentsiya, 2012.
Penal Law of Israel. Article-by-article translation from Hebrew into Russian, 2010. http://library.khpg.org/files/docs/1375279180.pdf
Prime Minister of Turkey: Islam brings peace to the world, and American film is a hostile provocation, 2012. https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2012/09/14/6972727/.
Protests erupt in Montenegro over religion law: Serbian Orthodox Church rights under threat, 2019. https://ua.112.ua/svit/u-chornohorii-spalakhnuly-protesty-cherez-zakon-pro-relihiiu-prava-serbskoi-pravoslavnoi-tserkvy-pid-zahrozoiu-520138.html
Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 2019a. https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/ReportUkraine16Feb-15May2019_UA.pdf.
Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine, 2019b. https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/UA/ReportUkraine16May-15Aug2019_UA.pdf
Resolution of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv Case № 826/19616/13-a, 2014, January. http://www.reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/37188411
Resolution of the General Assembly No. 36/55 “On Preamble of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief”, 1981, November. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ReligionOrBelief.aspx
Resolution of the Odessa District Administrative Court, Case No. 1570/2775/2012, 2012, May. http://www.reyestr.court.gov.ua/Review/24011680.
Roun, M. The right to freedom of religion or belief. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Human Rights Center, 2003.
Sereda, S.P. Criminal legal mechanisms for protecting the right to freedom of conscience and religion in Russia. Penytencyarnaya Nauka, 2017, 2(38), 21-26.
Shvydchenko, I.G. Freedom of religion as an object of criminal law protection. Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Kyiv: National Academy of Internal Affairs, 2009.
The Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 1999. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1242908&subID=100104131,100104133,100104141,100104341,100104583#text.
The Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, 1999. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1242720&subID=100102690,100102926,100102933,100102986,100103318#text
The Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 1997. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1243100&subID=100105558,100105575,100106503,100106566#text
The Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania, 2000. http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1243877&subID=100107735,100107738,100107763,100107855#text.
The Muslim world reacts differently to the shooting in Paris, 2015. https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/26783482.html
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. https://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/
Yarmol, L.V. Freedom of religion: legal support in Ukraine (general theoretical research). Thesis of the candidate of PhD in Law. Odessa: National University “Odessa Law Academy”,2003.