The Russian Justice Ministry’s Far Eastern department on Wednesday warned a local Muslim group that it is violating a new rally law by gathering for mass prayers outside their center.
The organization was warned that it was in violation of the new law, which tightens rules for public events, by “systematically organizing public events, including religious ones.”
The Justice Ministry’s Primorye Territory Department said it received numerous complaints about a Muslim religious center in Vladivostok, located on the ground floor of a residential building.
“Muslims who took part in those public events performed their religious rituals near residential houses, including roads and adjacent territories,” the statement reads.
The controversial law, passed in early June, raises fines for violating public rally regulations. It was approved after an opposition rally in Moscow on May 6, which ended in protesters clashing with police.