Court postpones hearing on trial of St. Petersburg programmer and Yoga philosopher

A St. Petersburg court has ruled to postponed its hearing on the case of Dmitry Ugai, whose lecture on the philosophy of yoga was deemed a violation of Russia’s new anti-terror law, which prohibits missionary activities in unapproved spaces.

Ugai, a programmer from St. Petersburg, has been interested in Indian philosophy and yoga for over 20 years. On October 22, he was invited to give a lecture at the Vedic festival at a St. Petersburg loft called “Floors”. In the lecture, he spoke about the various types of yoga and the spiritual texts and philosophy on which these practices are based.

Police appeared on the scene 40 minutes into the lecture. Ugai was detained and taken to the 76th police precinct.

“The policeman asked if I understood that I was engaging in illegal missionary work and what awaits me as a result,” said Ugai in an interview with television station Dozhd. “I was given the option of signing a statement that I was not allowed to read; it had been drawn up before the lecture, as if [they needed something] to quickly prove my guilt.” Ugai refused to signed the document and was released without receiving a copy of it. He later learned that, on the same day, police had drawn up a report accusing him of engaging in illegal missionary work and submitted the document to a court. But, according to Ugai, the judge dismissed the document due to numerous procedural violations and lack of facts pointing clearly to a crime. A month later, the protocol was drawn up again with the judge’s comments in mind.

The new document read that Ugai was carrying out missionary work on behalf of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math denomination and publicly disseminated information about Vaishnavism amongst people who were not members of this religious community with the goal of expanding its membership.

Ugai himself says that the entire case was fabricated. “I never mentioned the name of that association or the word Vaishnavism. The entire contents of my lectures can be found in books on Indian philosophy, which is taught at universities,” he said. A video recording of the lecture confirmed Ugai’s claim. Furthermore, he did not have any written permission on him from the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math association to be carrying out missionary work on its behalf.

Ugai’s lawyer Sergei Latyshevsky, who attended the former’s lectures, insists that there were no violations. “It was an ordinary lecture about yoga,” he said. According to Latyshevsky, four religious studies experts and one orientalist came to the same conclusion. The lawyer intends to use their testimony in his case.

Pavel Chikov, chairman of the Interregional Human Rights Association Agora, said that Ugai’s conviction, if it come to pass, would set a precedent. “It would spread all over the country: police are expected to be held accountable and [this way] they would have a precedent in the form of a judicial decision. This might entail the closure of a large number of yoga [schools],” said the human rights activist.

Ugai’s case has caused a public outcry. For example, it drew the attention of singer Sati Casanova who recently became a yoga teacher. “We are no longer in Stalin the era. We live in a country that gives its citizens freedom of thought, speech, and, most importantly, religion. I am indignant,” she said.

Russia’s new anti-terror legislation, spearheaded by Duma deputy Irina Yarovaya, has been widely criticized throughout the world as repressive and “Big-Brother-like.”

The amendments grant the government sweeping new powers to combat broadly-defined terrorism and extremism, and saddle Russia's telecoms industry with onerous new regulations that include storing copies of all telephone and Internet conversations.

The legislation also requires Internet services to surrender all encryption technologies to the Russian authorities. 

If convicted, Ugai may be required For this face a fine of up to 50,000 rubles (approximately $836).