Contact: Priya Abraham, Institute on Religion and Public Policy, 202-835-8760 Abraham@religionandpolicy.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Institute on Religion and Public Policy welcomes today's decision by the European Court on Human Rights in favor of Patrick Francis Nolan, a Unification missionary who was denied entry into Russia for religious reasons in 2002.

The Court found the Russian government had violated several provisions in the European Convention on Human Rights in barring Nolan.  The Court voted unanimously that Russia had contravened Article 9, which guarantees an individual's freedom of thought and religion.  Though the Russian government maintained it had banned Nolan to protect national security because of his "activities," not his beliefs, it never outlined what those threatening activities were.  The Court thus found Nolan's expulsion "designed to repress the exercise of his right to freedom of religion."

"This decision by the European Court is especially significant because it puts a heavier burden on governments who are claiming national security concerns to provide clear proof of a religion or religious follower's threat," said Institute President Joseph K. Grieboski.  "Only in rare cases can states credibly make that claim."

Nolan had been a missionary in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia since 1994, until the subsidiary organization of the Unification Church for which he worked was dissolved in 2001.  The dissolution of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) came after the Russian government tried to reinforce national security against the "negative influence of foreign religious organizations." 

As a result of the FFWPU's dissolution, Nolan lost his residence registration, which he later regained through other branches of the organization.   Returning to Russia from a short trip to Cyprus in June 2002, Nolan found himself barred from entering the country and detained at the airport in a windowless room overnight. 

Officials again refused Nolan entry a month later, though he had a new visa.  As a result, Nolan, a single father, was separated from his  11-month-year old son for almost a year, and was reunited with him only when the boy's nanny took him to Ukraine. 

About Institute on Religion and Public Policy
Nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize, the Institute on Religion and Public Policy is an international, inter-religious non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring freedom of religion as the foundation for security, stability, and democracy.

The Institute works globally with government policymakers, religious leaders, business executives, academics, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and others in order to develop, protect, and promote fundamental rights - especially the right of religious freedom - and contributes to the intellectual and moral foundation of the fundamental right of religious freedom. The Institute encourages and assists in the effective and cooperative advancement of religious freedom. 

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