The problem of correlation of legal categories of “freedom of conscience” and “freedom of religion” in the Russian Federation

Implementing the right to freedom of conscience law enforcement agencies and citizens ambiguously interpret two legal categories of “freedom of conscience” and “freedom of religion” and their correlation. Using the terms by the Russian legislation when regulating freedom of conscience and freedom of religion causes the problem of defining the essence of the mentioned institutions and their content. Freedom of conscience and freedom of religion cannot be considered as a unified legal institution as it happens in the current Russian legal reality. Freedom of conscience and freedom of religion are different private freedoms, and, therefore, the state should provide an independent guarantee system of implementation of each one of them. To achieve this it is necessary to amend the Federal Law No. 125 “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Groups”.