Russian prisoners now have the right to one-on-one chats with priests thanks to legislation prepared by the Justice Ministry and approved by the government on Wednesday, according to a statement on the government's website.
In accordance with the new legislation, inmates will be entitled to request one-on-one meetings with priests and other religious mentors, with each meeting to last for up to two hours. Also, the number of such one-on-ones will not be limited, according to the statement.
The only condition is that the religious mentor belong to an organization registered with the Federal Penitentiary Service.
Currently, the Federal Penitentiary Service has more than 80 agreements with religious organizations for services offered to inmates, though that number is expected to be substantially increased in connection with the new legislation.
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