RUSSIA RELIGION NEWS


Foreign Jehovah's Witness kept in custody in Orel

OREL APPEAL HEARING IN CASE OF DANISH JEHOVAH'S WITNESS CONTINUED TO 28 SEPTEMBER

Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 21 September 2017

 

On 20 September 2017, after a four-hour session of the Orel provincial court, an appeal hearing in the case of the Dane Dennis Christensen, a Jehovah's Witness who is being held in the SIZO of the city of Orel, was adjourned. The reason for this is that the court of the first instance did not deliver to the appeal a part of the evidence of the defense that had been examined during the consideration of the question of the extension of the detention.

 

The court of the first instance chose the harshest measure of restraint, suggesting without reason that Dennis Christensen could run away from the investigation and the court by leaving Russia. The lawyers pointed to the excessiveness of such a harsh measure of restraint. Investigators have confiscated the believer's passport and therefore he cannot physically exit from Russia. A letter from the Danish consulate was attached to the case which says: "On the basis of humanitarian considerations, the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow, in supporting the petition . . . for substituting for the means of restraint in the form of detention in custody another means of restraint, gives assurances that the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow will not provide a new passport to D.O. Christensen and will not assist D.O. Christensen in leaving the territory of the Russian federation."

 

The believer is suspected of continuing the activity of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated by a court. In seeking his complete acquittal, at this stage the lawyers are asking the appellate court to select for Dennis Christensen a measure of restraint in the form of bail or house arrest. The appellate hearing will resume in the Orel provincial court on 28 September 2017 at 14:00.  (tr. by PDS, posted 21 September 2017)

 


APPEAL AGAINST EXTENSION OF DETENTION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESS FROM DENMARK TO BE HEARD IN OREL

Jehovah' Witnesses in Russia, 19 September 2017

 

On 20 September 2017, the Orel provincial court will consider the appeal of a ruling by the Soviet district court of the city of Orel by which the term of detention in custody of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was extended by another 4 months. The believer is suspected of continuing the activity of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated by a court. Lawyers are asking the appellate court to rescind the order to extend the term of prison confinement and to select for Dennis Christensen a measure of restraint in the form of bail or house arrest.

 

The decision to extend the term of detention in custody was issued on 20 July 2017 by Judge S. Naumova, the very same judge who issued the original decision to choose a measure of restraint in the form of prison confinement of the believer. Actually, in deciding the question of extending the term of detention in custody and establishing the existence of a reason for selecting this measure of restraint, Judge Naumova was supposed to decide whether her own previous actions in applying the rules of the Criminal Procedural Code of the RF, regulating the process of choosing a means of restraint, were appropriate and sufficient. In other words, she was reviewing a question regarding which she had already previously issued a decision, which is impermissible in Russian jurisprudence. In accordance with this, an unsuccessful challenge against the judge was announced in the session.

 

The judge also ignored arguments of the defense regarding the excessiveness and groundlessness of such a harsh means of restraint. For example, in the session there was examined an excerpt from the Uniform State Register of Legal Entities and also the charter of the liquidated organization, which confirm that Dennis Christensen, although he is a Jehovah's Witnesses by religious profession, was not and could not have been a founder, member, or leader of the aforesaid registered religious association, and that means he could not be charged with continuing its activity. However, in her ruling the judge did not even mention this and did not give an evaluation of any of the evidence presented by the defense. (tr. by PDS, posted 21 September 2017)

Background articles:
Danish Jehovah's Witness still in jail
July 22, 2017

Court refuses to grant habeas corpus to Danish Jehovah's Witness
June 22, 2017
Danish Jehovah's Witness remains in Russian jail
June 13, 2017


Russia Religion News Current News Items

Editorial disclaimer: RRN does not intend to certify the accuracy of information presented in articles. RRN simply intends to certify the accuracy of the English translation of the contents of the articles as they appeared in news media of countries of the former USSR.

If material is quoted, please give credit to the publication from which it came. It is not necessary to credit this Web page. If material is transmitted electronically, please include reference to the URL, http://www.stetson.edu/~psteeves/relnews/.