Yoga on Trial in Russia

Russian Intellectuals

Whilst traveling in Russia and Ukraine a couple of years back, I had the pleasure to meet Dandi Swami, Dmitri Ugai, a Yogi of the Bhakti school. A soft-spoken intellectual, he showed me around St. Petersburg. We had a wide-ranging chat on a number of topics including the poetry of Pushkin and Osip Mandelstam.

Osip Mandelstam was a Russian poet of the Modern school who was imprisoned for an epigram criticizing Stalin. He later died of ill health from problems contracted by working in forced labor camps, the so-called "Gulags" of Alexandr Solzhenitzyn.

Dandi Swami showed an appreciation for my blog and some of my writings. I gave Dmitry, Dandi Swami, a copy of Osip Mandelstam's poems and reminded my friend that it was Mandelstam who remarked, "In Russia they take the poets so seriously that they have them killed."

Osip Mandelstam as young poet, before arrest

Police NKVD photo of Osip Mandelstam

I write Dandi Swami now and then to get some news about the weather in Petersburg and to exchange philosophical ideas. He is particularly interested in ontology and epistemology. I know him as a Sanskritist who especially loves the Vedic ideas about yoga.

Dandi Swami, as Dmitri is known by his friends in the Yoga community, is often invited to lecture on his understanding of the psychological aspects of Yoga. The meditation practice can be extended to an ethical outlook and way of life. I was shocked and dismayed to find that, like the poet Mandelstam, he was to be arrested merely for speaking philosophically.

The new law on so-called "missionary activities" is so vaguely written as to include practically any kind of speech, especially any argument meant to convince others. If I express disdain for atheism in a public forum, for examply, I may be taken in for questioning for "promoting religion". The point is, that anyone who gives an argument that may be construed as supporting a theistic belief may be accused of promoting "missionary activities." In order to promote "missionary activities," according to the law, one must be a documented spokesman for a registered organization. The organization must ask for permission from the state to represent its "missionary activities" at a scheduled event. The event must also be registered and permission given. In theory this is to prevent terrorism or radicalization by marginal groups. In practice this law has a chilling effect. No "unauthorized" person is allowed to speak on religion in any venue other than those strictly controlled by law. See link:. Details of Yarovaya Persecution

There is a kind of "Catch-22" built into the law. If one belongs to an unregistered organization, one may be sanctioned. If one's organization is registered but no official permission exists, one may be sanctioned. If one officially promotes "missionary activities" one must have permission. But it is easy for the state to deny such permission and make it difficult to register. Once "registered" all activities may be monitored, including websites, blogs, and facebook pages. Those who fail to register may be sanctioned by fines or arrested. Even reading or accessing online material may be sanctioned as well as maintaining websites with offending material. The goal is absolute state control over all speech. Any speech at all may be considered "offensive." 

The so-called "Spring Laws" or "Yarovaya laws"  against minority religions signed by Putin in July have so far been applied against various practicioners of yoga, including five Hare Krishna devotees, one of whom has been charged twice for distributing books and for chanting Hare Krishna publically. When the devotees who chanted Hare Krishna pointed out that they had made no comment to anyone, merely chanting the holy name of god, the state prosecutor explained that all activities of the Krishnaites are considered to be proselytizing. Distributing books, handing out cookies, even wearing traditional Hindu dress is all considered a form of speech that promotes missionary activities.  See Link:  Illegal to Chant

Buddhists have also been arrested under the law, but the law is not restricted to Yogis, Budhists and nonWestern systems of thought and belief. Christians who are not part of the Russian Orthodox Church have also been arrested and charged with violating so called "Spring Laws." 

See Link: Christians charged under anti-missionary laws. 
Arrests have included four Pentecostals, four Jehovah's Witnesses, two Baptists, two Seventh-day Adventists, one Ukrainian Reformed Orthodox Archbishop, and five other Protestants have also been prosecuted under the law. Since the laws were past in July, the anti-religious-liberty campaign is gathering force.

Arrested for speaking on Yoga, Dmitri (Dandi Swami) Ugai continues to speak out before his trial to keep yoga legal in Russia. Mr Ugai is being prosecuted for violating new laws which make it illegal to conduct so-called "missionary activities." He was giving a lecture on the benefits of yoga at a hotel in downtown Petersburg Russia, when police appeared and forcibly escorted him to a waiting car. Uniformed officers took him to the station and held him for hours, threatening prison if he did put his signature on a blank confession. Shades of Kafka. Russia has a long tradition of imprisoning poets, intellectuals and men of conscience. 

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Washington Post article...https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/01/06/a-man-is-on-trial-in-russia-for-talking-about-yoga/?utm_term=.b6910e76c035#comments




Note: This is a Google Translation and may contain inconsistencies, but it's the best I can do at the moment. For the original Russian of the article, continue to the end of the post.

The trial of a yogi Dmitry Ugai postponed to January 18

Natalia Sedova

According to the lawyer, Dmitry Ugai, trial of yoga teacher, accused of violating the Law Spring, a judge postponed to January 18.

 The judge postponed consideration of the case on January 18 since the police representative Mr. Magomedov and witnesses failed to appear in court to draw up reports. This postponement  was upheld in the case o Dmitry Ugai. In addition, the court is ready to hear witnesses and consider the report of the expert of Indology.

To date, the court verifies the authenticity and conformity of the procedural rules of a protocol. In fact there are two protocols: the first of 22 October, the second drawn up on December 14 with a view of things, which have court. In the first protocol, which was handed over to the judge for a decision on initiation of administrative proceedings shall not even a religious organization has been specified, the name of which Dmitry Ugai allegedly carrying out missionary activity. In the second protocol, already referred to some religious structure and charged with preaching of Vaishnavism. And this conclusion is based on "impressions" a witness! How does this "impression" Historically, the protocol can not be explained, though, that even the word "Vaishnavism" was never used in the lecture. In fact, we are talking about the persecution of a lecture about yoga as such.

Of course, it is unlikely that a police officer will come to the trial, but we hope that Mr. Magomedov still finds the time and honestly tell you how it was in reality. 

President of Federation of Russia Sergey Repin yoga noted in his comments the radio station "Moscow speaking" , which considers this case as scandalous.

"People are going to judge a teacher of yoga, think poorly versed in this matter. In this case, you can judge for Indian films - for anything. Let us then put all MGIMO professors from the East Branch of the Moscow State University Institute of Asia and Africa, where such items are required for the study. They know how many people practicing yoga in our country? "- Wondered Sergei Repin.

Суд над йогом Дмитрием Угаем перенесен на 18 января
Наталья Седова
По информации адвоката Дмитрия Угая, судебное заседание по делу преподавателя йоги, обвиняемого в нарушении Закона Яровой, перенесено судьей на 18 января.

Фото: rosbalt.ru

- Судья перенесла рассмотрение дела на 18 января в связи с необходимостью вызвать на заседание представителя полиции, г-на Магомедова, составлявшего протокол. Такое решение было поддержано и мной и Дмитрием Угаем. Кроме того, суд готов будет выслушать свидетелей, и рассмотреть заключения экспертов-индологов.
На сегодняшний день суд проверяет достоверность и соответствие процессуальным нормам составление протокола. В деле имеется два протокола: первый от 22 октября, второй, составленный 14 декабря с учётом моментов, на которые указал суд. В первом протоколе, который был передан судье для вынесения решения о возбуждении административного дела не была указана даже религиозная организация, от имени которой Дмитрий Угай, якобы, осуществлял миссионерскую деятельность. Во втором протоколе уже называется некая религиозная структура и предъявлено обвинение в проповеди вайшнавизма. Причём такой вывод делается на основании «впечатления» свидетеля! Каким образом это «впечатление» сложилось, в протоколе не объясняется, при том, что даже слово «вайшнавизм» ни разу не использовано в лекции. По сути, речь идёт о преследовании за лекцию о йоге как таковой.
Конечно, мало вероятно, что сотрудник полиции придёт на судебное заседание, но мы надеемся, что г-н Магомедов всё-таки найдёт время и честно расскажет, как всё было на самом деле.

Президент Федерации йоги России Сергей Репин отметил в своем комментарии радиостанции «Говорит Москва», что рассматривает этот случай, как вопиющий.
«Люди, которые собираются судить преподавателя йоги, думаю, слабо разбираются в этом вопросе. В таком случае можно судить за индийские фильмы – за всё что угодно. Давайте тогда посадим всех преподавателей МГИМО с восточного отделения, из МГУ из института Азии и Африки, где подобные предметы обязательны для изучения. Они понимают, сколько людей занимается йогой в нашей стране?», - недоумевал Сергей Репин.

Все подробности дела читайте в материалах  НИ «Занятия йогой в России могут привести в тюрьму», а также «Адвокаты - о суде над преподавателем йоги: обвинение противоречит закону».