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Moscow court confirms goods sale at Cathedral of Christ legitimate

The court rejected the complaint of the Society for the Protection of Consumers' Rights

MOSCOW, September 14 (Itar-Tass) — The Moscow city court on Friday confirmed that goods sale and services within the territory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior are legitimate.

Thus, the court rejected the complaint of the Society for the Protection of Consumers' Rights.

The society asked to overrule the July 10 decision of Moscow's Khamovniki district court, saying in particular that the tax code regulations were violated. Goods in the territory of the cathedral are not sold, but given out, since no cash registering equipment is used, the plaintiff noted in the appeal.

The activists also noted in the complaint that there were no labels with information about the goods and the producers, which is violation of the trade regulations.

Representatives of the religious organization, the representation of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, described the arguments as untenable. The law does not ban religious organizations from giving out religious-use items free of charge or selling them, that is distributing, a female representative explained.

There is no sale in the territory of the cathedral, and payment for goods is a voluntary donation of parishioners, she said.

Items of religious use are given out in the cathedral to strengthen parishioners' faith, she added.

Besides, an official from the Federal consumers' rights protection and public health control service (Rospotrebnadzor) said in the court that the plaintiff did not prove a fact of sale in the territory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

The Khamovniki court's ruling is lawful, sound and motivated, the official believes.

After hearing the arguments of the parties, the panel of judges decided to uphold the ruling and reject the complaint.

On July 10, the Khamovniki court found selling of goods and providing of services in the territory of the cathedral legal, thus dismissing the suit of the Society for the Protection of Consumers' Rights, which insisted that such activities were not within the law.

The society filed the suit after inspecting the territory. It established that there were a car parking ground and dining and shopping premises where various goods were sold. Moreover, the society believes it is illegal that some premises of the cathedral are rented to hold corporative parties and various banquets.

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