MOSCOW (AP) - Today, lawmakers in Russia’s lower house, or Duma, voted 358-6, in favor of a revised religion bill that would curtail the rights of so-called foreign religions. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from abroad.
Critics note that the nationalist Russian Orthodox Church is backing the measure as a way to prevent other Christians, such as Catholics and Protestants, from operating freely in Russia. President Boris Yeltsin vetoed the original bill in July in response to foreign opposition from the Vatican and the U.S. Congress, among others. But he’s expected to sign the revised version, which will reach his desk if it’s also approved by parliament’s upper house.