Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo

Sommario

1. La nuova legge sulla libertà di coscienza e sulle organizzazioni religiose del 2002. – 2. La questione religiosa e l’identità nazionale bielorussa. – 3. Il dibattito sulla nuova legge. – 4. I principi della nuova legge e la Costituzione. Preminenza della Chiesa ortodossa e ruolo particolare della Chiesa cattolica. – 5. Le disposizioni principali. – 6. L’organo repubblicano d’amministrazione statale per le questioni religiose. – 7. La registrazione delle organizzazioni, comunità e associazioni religiose. – 8. Il diniego di registrazione ed i controlli sull’attività. I ricorsi giurisdizionali. – 9. La legge statale e gli accordi internazionali. – 10. La Magistratura, il Presidente e la Procura.

Abstract

The author analyses the new law of 31st October 2002, n. 137-Z concerning freedom of conscience and religious organisations. The new law entirely substitutes the old one, law 17/12/1992 n. 2054-XI, adopted before the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus was approved by the referendum of 24/11/1996. The new rules were strongly opposed by the representatives of the minority churches and religious organisations (Protestants, Jews and Muslims) for the privileges accorded principally to the Orthodox Church. The Catholic Church observed a more prudent attitude in relation to the recognition of its spiritual, cultural and historical role in Belarus. The new norms are not in contrast with the common rules of democratic states or with the principles of the European Convention for the protection of fundamental human rights and liberties, but some reserves can be expressed in relation with the bureaucratic procedure of registration of religious organizations and the powers attributed to the republican state administration body on religious affairs. The inference of the state is high and the controls very pervasive without the counterbalance of a really independent judicial review. The problems of the new law are linked more with the concrete application of strong legal provisions than with the abstract content of the norms, which, the author strongly underlines, match with generally accepted democratic regulations i.e. more favourable norms for some churches are admitted for instance in Italy for the Catholic Church, in Greece for the Orthodox Church and in Denmark for the Evangelic-Lutheran Church.