Thank you, Madame President,
I, Frank Schulze, would like to share a case of religious persecution in the Russian Federation through the example of the “Shri Prakash Dham” Indian cultural center, which I represent in the EU and Germany.
The official leader of Hinduism in the Russian Federation – Shri Prakash Ji has been facing attacks on his reputation and safety by a notoriously famous orthodox Christian radical Alexander Dvorkin for the past four years. Shri Prakash Ji is also a popular spiritual master with a discipleship of hundreds of thousands.
Dvorkin’s organization RATSIRS employs scare tactics against the Hindu community in the Russian Federation. Shri Prakash Ji has been severely defamed on the internet, which lead to fake news on media and subsequently to threats from his goons.
Dvorkin has associates in Russian governmental structures, and even media. He uses these connections to threaten Hindus in the Russian Federation. An online change.org petition in support of Shri Prakash Ji has accumulated more than 60,000 signatures.
In 2017 Dvorkin’s hatred speeches attacking Shri Prakash Ji, resulted in the burning of his effigy in New-Delhi in front of the Russian embassy.
Hindus do not have a temple for their religious practices except for Shri Prakash Ji’s Ashram in Moscow region. Speaking today at the UN Human Rights Council, I would like to reach out to the policy makers of the Russian Federation and demand the implementation of the basic human rights of the Hindu population in the Russian Federation.
Russian Hindus would like to have a temple and to see their religion officially recognized by the Russian government.
Oral Statement on Religious Freedom in Russia – 43rd HRC Session, UN HRC, Geneva March 10th – 2020
