ANTIRELIGIOUS ITCH
On 29 May 2015 in the cities of
Mozdok, Alagir, and Vladikavkaz, under the guise of surveys,
searches were conducted in four Kingdom Halls (houses of worship
of Jehovah's Witnesses). Not finding anything that is
prohibited, the police confiscated a sound system, CD-players,
and compact disks with recordings of religious melodies that are
used during the conduct of worship services.
At the same time as this, in the
city of Beslan, FSB personnel and police, under the guise of a
survey, conducted a full-scale search of a residence in which
volunteers from the Jehovah's Witnesses were engaged in the
translation of biblical publications in the Ossetian language.
In the end, nothing illegal was discovered in the residence and
in the adjoining territory also.
During the course of the
so-called survey, which lasted all day, personnel of law
enforcement agencies confiscated personal items of the
believers, including religious literature, photographs,
documents, and all computers which they were using for help in
translation into the Ossetian language, as a result of which all
translating activity was paralyzed.
Over the course of many years,
Jehovah's Witnesses have provided residents of the republic the
opportunity to read Christian publications in their native
language. Also in 2010, a full Ossetian (Irontsy dialect)
translation of the Bible was released for the first time in
history. All of this work, undoubtedly, has facilitated the
preservation and development of the Ossetian language, which,
according to UNESCO is considered to be endangered.
Without disputing the right of oversight and monitoring agencies to conduct verification measures, we consider that in this case they were carried out not by reason of specific instances of illegal actions on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses, but with substantial violation of the law and going beyond their authority by officials. The believers intend to press for the return of their personal things and to complain in court about all illegal actions by personnel of the power structures. (Source: Press Service of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia) (tr. by PDS, posted 7 June 2015)
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